(  GENERAL      BUNKER  ) 


<> 


yfe 


THE 


GREAT  AMERICAN 


GOUT  AND        PY, 


BUNKER: 


ILLUSTRATED. 


A.  TRUTHFUL  AND  THRILLING  NARRATIVE  OF  ADVEN- 
TURES AND  NARROW  ESCAPES  IN  THE  ENEMY'S 
COUNTRY,  UNDER  ORDERS  FROM  GENERALS 
GRANT,  LOGAN,  McPHERSON,  AND  OTHER 
LEADING  COMMANDERS. 


§hinl  (Hilton, 


NEW  YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  OLMSTED 
1870. 


&     CO. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1568,  by 
OLMSTED  &  COMPANY, 

In  tb«>  monk's  Office  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  for  the  Southern  District 
of  New  York. 


Printed  by  JOHN  J.  RKUD, 
43  Centre  St.,  N.  Y. 


TO 


GEN,  ULYSSES   S,  GRANT, 

WHOSE    UNDAUNTED    ENERGY,    HEROIC    VALOR,    SUPERIOR 

GENERALSHIP,  AND  DEVOTION  TO  HIS  COUNTRY, 

HAVE  PROVED  HIM 


"The  Right  Man  in  the  Right  Place, 


AND  WON  FOR  HIM 


A    WORLD-WIDE    FAME; 


THE    pALLANT    pFFICERS    AND 


TTHO  HAVE  NOBLY  ASSISTED  IN  SUSTAINING  OCR  GLORIOUS  NATIONAUTT 
BY  CRUSHING  THE  GREAT  REBELLION, 


is 


PREFACE. 


IT  was  with  much  difficulty  that  I  was  prevailed  upon 
to  give  to  the  public  a  narrative  of  my  experience  as 
a  scout  and  spy.  It  was  the  intense  interest  with 
which  the  commanding  generals  and  others  have  lis- 
tened to  my  narratives,  whenever  I  have  related 
them,  and  their  earnest  entreaties  to  have  them  pub- 
lished, that  induced  me  to  do  so. 

I  entered  the  army  with  purely  patriotic  motives, 
with  a  desire  to  sustain  and  perpetuate  the  noble  in- 
stitutions that  had  been  purchased  by  the  blood  of 
our  fathers.  I  valued  the  cause  of  liberty  as  well 
worth  all  the  sacrifice  that  it  might  cost  to  save  it. 
I  saw  at  once  that  the  conflict  was  to  be  one  involv- 
ing great  principles,  and  that  in  the  end  Truth  and 
Justice  must  prevail. 

The  part  that  I  have  borne  in  putting  down  the 
great  rebellion  is  the  one  that  naturally  fell  to  me  by 
the  force  of  circumstances,  and  entirely  unsolicited. 
My  relation  in  the  affairs  of  life  seems  to  have  been 
such  as  to  have  just  adapted  me  to  that  part  that  fell 


6  PREFACE. 

to  my  lot  to  act.  I  have  been  a  cabin-boy  on  the 
canal,  from  which  I  graduated  to  the  position  of  canal- 
driver.  I  have  been  a  Frontier  Ranger,  a  Rocky 
Mountain  Trapper  and  gold-hunter  on  the  eastern 
slope.  I  have  been  a  cattle-trader  at  the  North,  a 
raft-pilot  at  the  South,  and  an  Arkansas  school- 
master. 

The  incidents  that  I  have  narrated  are  all  of  them 
facts  that  have  occurred  in  my  experience,  and, 
without  further  apology,  I  submit  them  to  an  indul- 
gent and  candid  public,  and  claim  that  every  scene 
narrated  here  is  the  unvarnished  truth. 

C.  L.  RUGGLES. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Parentage— Childhood  incidents— Subsequent  occupations— Driven  from 
Mississippi — Works  on  rebel  fortifications — Escape  to  Illinois — Enlists 
as  a  soldier — Supposed  to  have  deserted — How  he  got  his  name — Ex- 
amination by  the  surgeon 11-17 

CHAPTER  II. 

Moves  to  Cincinnati— Detailed  to  guard  the  forts— Meets  a  secesh  lady- 
First  scout— Unexpected  visit  of  the  colonel— The  drill— Bad  report- 
The  mischief  investigated — Attempts  to  discover  the  rogues — Innocent 
man  accused — The  accusers  skedaddle — Who  got  the  chickens. . .  .18-35 

CHAPTER  III. 

"  Marching  orders — First  battle — Arrives  at  Fort  Donelson — The  sur- 
render— Goes  North  with  prisoners — Meets  an  old  friend  as  a  rebel 
captain — The  captain  attempts  to  bribe  him — Expedition  up  the  Ten- 
nessee River— Touching  incident— Battle  of  Shiloh— Captures  an  En- 
field— Recommended  as  a  scout 26-34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Rumored  attack  upon  Grand  Junction — "  General  Bunker"  sent  out  as 
spy — Passes  himself  as  a  rebel  soldier— Falls  in  with  rebel  cavalry — 
Visits  a  rebel  carnp — Attempts  to  deprive  him  of  his  revolver — Dis- 
covers a  Yankee  forage  party — Undertakes  to  return — captured  by 
Yankees,  and  robbed  of  his  revolver  and  money— Passes  as  a  rebel  spy 
—Sent  to  the  provost-marshal— Sent  to  General  Hurlbut— Returned  to 
Grand  Junction 85-50 

CHAPTER  V. 

Fired  at  by  a  citi/en — The  sick  overseer — How  he  was  cured — Pickets 
fired  on — Trip  to  White  Church — Visits  General  Van  Dorn — Meets  a 
rebel  spy — Reports  to  General  Leggett — Grand  Junction  evacuated — 
Again  sees  the  rebel  spy— Attempt  to  arrest  him— Drinks  wine  with  the 
rebel  General  Jackson — Discovers  a  hole  in  the  fence 51-68 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  value  of  the  oath— Attempt  to  take  "  Bunker's"  life— Sent  to  Grand 
Junction — The  hazardous  ride — The  countersign — The  chase — Unfor- 
tunate occurrence — The  chase  abandoned — Meets  with  guerrillas — They 
invite  him  to  drink — Renewed  vigilance — The  battle  ofMiddlcburg.  67-7i> 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Attempts  to  visit  the  enemy's  camp — Learns  the  strength  and  position  of 
the  enemy — Return  intercepted — Perilous  situation — Loses  his  mule — 
Frightened  by  men  of  his  own  regiment — The  plan  to  capture  the 
enemy — The  negro's  report — The  forces  discovered — Disposes  of  a 
rebel  picket — Reports  his  discovery 74-82 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Bent  to  find  the  enemy's  pickets — Suspicious  circumstance— Sick  child — 
Captures  three  citizens  standing  picket— Releases  them— Falls  asleep- 
Perilous  situation— Fortunate  turn  of  affairs— Attack  on  the  pickets— A 
very  pious  man — He  proves  a  rebel  spy 83-90 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Bent  to  Somerville— Finds  himself  a  prisoner— Taken  to  Cold  Water- 
Meets  with  old  acquaintances— Is  paroled— Runs  with  the  3d  Arkansas 
Cavalry — Goes  to  Lnnipkin's  Mills — Interview  with  General  Price — 
Stays  all  night  with  his  brother,  the  rebel  general — Return  to  Bolivar — 
Reports  to  General  Ross— Obtains  the  colonel's  horse,  and  returns  to 
the  enemy — Runs  away  from  the  enemy 91-100 

CHAPTER  X. 

Sent  to  Grand  Junction  to  capture  guerrillas — Suspicious  incident — Strat- 
egy— Orders  disobeyed— The  rebel  flag— The  very  kind  secesh  lady- 
Out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire— Guerrillas  watching  for  them— 
The  attack— The  prisoner— Result  of  the  trip 101-112 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Sent  to  Lagrange — Observes  two  cavalrymen — Arrival — Waits  for  the 
cavalry— Accompanies  them  out — Takes  his  departure — Is  pursued — 
Evades  the  pursuit — Finds  himself  cornered — Crosses  •  the  Cypress 
Swamp— Robbed  by  outlaws— The  fate  of  the  robbers 113-134 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Starts  to  find  General  Bragg's  forces — "  Woods"  the  secesh  farmer — 
Guerrillas  washing  stockings — Finds  Bragg's  advance — Recognized  as 
a  Yankee  spy— Ordered  off  his  mule  to  'be  shot— The  clamor  of  the 
crowd — Recognized  as  a  Confederate  spy— Rebel  surgeon  vouches  for 
him — Is  released- — Gray-headed  rebel  brought  to  justice — The  sutler  of 
the  2d  Arkansas  Cavalry  a  prisoner — What  became  of  the  guerrillas 
that  were  washing  stockings 123-136 

CHAPTEll  XIII. 

Reconnoiters  Hickory  Flats  with  a  squad  of  seven  men — Shoots  at 
the  mark — Orders  to  march  with  two  days'  rations — Cause  of  the 
alarm — Rcconnoiter  beyond  Whitesville — Major  Mudcl's  trap — "  Bunk- 
er" entices  the  rebs  into  it — Rides  into  the  trap  behind  a  rebel  captain — 
Sent  out  beyond  Pocahontas — Passes  as  a  rebel  artillerist— Secesh  cit- 
izen stands  guard  for  him — The  very  kind  secesh  lady — The  anxious 
wife — Discovers  guerrillas  burning  a  human  being 137-155 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Starts  on  a  trip  for  General  Lauman— His  instructions— A  Confederate 
widow — Discovers  a  squad  of  rebel  soldiers — Captures  part  of  their 
arms — Learns  the  whereabouts  of  guerrillas — Attempt  to  capture  them — 
Guerrillas  escape — Captures  a  prisoner — Cause  of  guerrillas'  escape — 
The  "  General"  and  squad  are  arrested— Unfortunate  state  of  affairs- 
Informality  of  charge  and  specifications 156-16(5 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Assistance  of  friends — Fails  to  get  a  trial — Gloomy  prospects — Evidence 
accumulates — Guard-house  incident — The  "  General"  concludes  to  help 


CONTENTS.  9 

himself— Narrow  escape  from  .guerrillas — The  capture — Reaches   hla 
regiment — Himself  and  squad  released 107-177 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Starte  for  Grenada— Instructions— Is  captured— Returns  to  Water  Valley 
—Starts  again— Arrives  at  Grenada— Condition  of  Price's  army— He 
returns — Again  sent  to  Grenada — Proposes  some  fun — Plan  of  strategy 
— Plan  unnecessary — Returns  with  rebel  cavalry — Bivouac  at  Big 
Springs — The  attack — More  fun  than  bargained  for — The  result.  178-187 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  forage  party — Runaways — Daring  scout — Narrow  escape — The  line 
of  battle — Safe  relum — Scout  reports — Assumes  the  character  of  a  rebel 
prisoner— Finds  a  friend— How  he  introduced  himself— Where  he  be- 
longs— The  burning  of  Holly  Springs — The  heroine — What  she  captured 
— Shows  partiality — Oilers  assistance— Rebel  doctor  executed. .  .18&-199 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Arrival  in  Memphis — Daring  robbery — Detailed  by  the  provost-marshal 
general — Assumes  the  character  of  a  rebel  major — Secesh  acquaintances 
— Captures  a  rebel  mail — A  jollification — A  rebel  trader — Plan  to  run 
the  pickets— The  escape  of  the  outlaAVS 200-212 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Reports  to  Major-General  McPherson— Instructions— Disguise— Starts  for 
Vicksburg — Changes  his  route — Reports  to  General  Denver — Acquaint- 
ance with  a  cotton-buyer — Plan  to  make  money — Visit  to  guerrilla  Sol. 
Street — The  arrangement  consummated — Visit  to  General  Price — Arri- 
val at  Jackson — Robbed  of  his  field-glasses — Introduction  to  President 
Davis— Visit  to  Vicksburg— Visit  to  Edwards'  Station— Meets  his  bear- 
hunting  comrades— Visits  Black  River  Bridge— Robbed  of  his  horse — 
The  return— Reports  to  General  McPherson— Reports  to  General 
Grant 213-227 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Return  to  Mississippi — Instructions — Visit  to  Troy — Movement  of  cavalry 
— Reports  to  General  Denver — Is  arrested — Federal  cavalry  driven  back 
— Is  released — Visits  Greenwood — Journey  to  the  Mississippi  River — 
The  perilous  crossing — Again  arrested— Interview  with  General  Prentisa 
—Takes  the  oath  of  allegiance— Meets  a  friend— Makes  his  escape— Re- 
ports to  General  Grant 23S-240 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Return  to  the  regiment — The  Henry  rifle — The  march  from  Milliken's 
Bend — The  tug  of  war — The  army  crosses  the  Mississippi — Capture  of 
Port  Gibson — Battle  of  Raymond — Amusing  capture— The  charge  on 
Jackson — Battle  of  Champion  Hills — The  rebel  courier — Sharp-shoot- 
ing—The  gallant  charge— The  march  to  Vicksburg— The  place  be- 
sieged   241-254 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

First  sharp-shooting  at  Vicksburg— Silences  two  guns— The  rifle-pit— 
Shoots  a  Carolinian— The  Carolinian's  comrade— Outshoots  a  squad  of 
sixteen— The  defiant  rebel— Shoots  for  Generals  McPherson  and  Logan 
— Beats  the  Parrot  rifles — Joke  on  the  Adjutant-General — Visit  to  Ad- 
miral Porter — The  French  spy — The  disclosures — Capture  of  a  rebel 
dispatch— The  fate  of  the  spy 2o5-2S£ 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Sent  for  by  General  Grant — Instructions — Crosses  Black  River — Is  cap- 
tured by  rebel  cavalry — Sent  to  General  DeVieu — The  interview — 
Passes  as  Johnston's  spy— The  attempt  to  escape— The  pursuit— Fired 
at  by  Federal  'pickets — Again  fired  at  by  the  enemy — The  pursuers 
driven  back — Again  tired  at  by  Federal  pickets — The  alarm — Reports 
to  General  Osterhaus— Reports  to  General  Grant 270-380 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Visit  to  Chickasaw  Landing — Surrender  of  Vicksburg — Visit  to  the  city — 
The  paroled  Major — The  Yankee  trick — Returns  to  Vicksburg — Made  de- 
tective— Is  sent  to  Yazoo  City — Attends  a  guerrilla  organization — Makes 
them  a  speech— Returns  to  Vicksburg 281-289 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Taken  sick  with  the  ague— Encounters  his  Satanic  Majesty— The  Devil 
afraid  of  General  Grant — Expedition  to  Bogue  Chitto  Creek — Captures 
a  rebel  Colonel— Enlists  as  a  veteran— Makes  a  speech  to  the  soldiers. 

290-299 
CHAPTER  XXVL 

Frightened  by  a  dead  Colonel — -Burns  Confederate  corn  in  face  of  the 
enemy — Gets  into  a  tight  place — A  frightened  Major — Captures  infor- 
mation— A  headstrong  Captain  gobbled  up — Captures  a  rebel  Provost- 
marshal  General — Encounter  with  General  Ross' s  cavalry — A  strange 
adventure — Races  with  a  rebel  Colonel — A  hard-hearted  woman .  300-325 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

fitarte  home  on  veteran  furlough — Suspected  of  being  a  rebel  spy — Com- 
missioned officer  serves  him  at  the  table — Kind  attentions  at  home — Si- 
lences an  old  maid — Returns  to  the  front — Shot  at  twenty-one  times — 
The  remedy— A  Union  lady— The  dwarf  weaver— The  weaver  be- 
headed— Goes  into  Marietta  as  a  spy — Confederate  side  of  the  lines — Es- 
cape from  the  rebs — General  McPherson's  death — Hard  fighting.. .  .326 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Goes  to  Ohio  to  recruit — Raises  twenty-one  men — Difficulty  with  the  Gov- 
ernor— Visits  Lieutenant-Gencral  Grant — Order  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment— Again  in  difficulty — Runs  away  from  the  Governor — Reports  to 
General  Sherman— Georgia  raid— An  amusing  coincident— Reports  to 
General  Granger,  at  Mobile — Reports  to  General  Grierson,  in  Texas — 
Makes  a  trip  to  the  Upper  Colorado — Incident  at  General  Grant's  head- 
quarters—The war  over 851-381 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Ludicrous  effect  of  fear— A  Corporal  outflanks  a  Captain— A  good  Union 
man — A  touching  appeal — A  scene  among  the  wounded — An  old  Se- 
cesh  discovers  his  mistake— Suggestions  from  experience— Concluding 
thoughts— Certificates  and  endorsements 382-400 


THE 

GEEAT  AMERICAN  SCOUT  AND  SPY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Parentage — Childhood  incidents — Subsequent  occupations — Driven  from 
Mississippi — Works  on  rebel  fortifications — Escape  to  Illinois — Enlists 
as  a  soldier  —  Supposed  to  have  deserted  —  How  he  got  his  name  — 
Examination  by  the  Surgeon. 

I  WAS  Lorn  in  the  town  of  Copley,  Summit  County, 
Ohio,  on  the  I7th  day  of  June,  1823,  and  at  the  time 
I  entered  the  army  was  thirty  nine  years  of  age.  My 
father's  name  was  Alfred  Ruggles.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  living  with  his  second  wife.  His 
family  numhered  twelve  sons  and  seven  daughters. 
I  am  the  youngest  of  seven  children  by  my  father's 
second  wife. 

My  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  all  of 
his  sons,  except  myself,  were  taught  this  trade,  un- 
der his  personal  instruction.  Lorenzo  Ruggles,  my 
father's  second  son  by  his  first  wife,  after  having 
finished  his  trade,  was  sent  to  college  and  educated. 
He  is  the  General  Ruggles  of  the  Confederate  army. 

When  I  was  ten  years  of  age  my  father  died,  leav- 
ing a  large  farm  to  be  disposed  of  by  a  will.  The 
(Hi 


12  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

children  went  to  law,  and  spent  the  entire  property 
in  breaking  the  will  and  settling  the  estate.  In  con- 
sequence of  that  I  was  thrown  upon  my  own  labor 
for  my  support  at  a  very  early  age. 

The  next  summer,  after  my  father's  death,  I  hired 
out  as  cabin-boy  on  board  of  one  of  the  packet-boats 
running  on  the  Ohio  Canal.  I  continued  for  three 
summers  to  follow  the  canal  in  that  capacity,  and 
for  four  summers  following  I  was  a  canal  driver. 
The  last  three  seasons  I  drove  the  same  team,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  third  season  I  received  from  the 
Transportation  Company  a  prize  of  ten  dollars  for 
having  kept  my  team  in  the  best  order. 

The  winter  following,  my  seventh  season  on  the 
canal,  I  went  down  the  Mississippi  River  to  Arkan- 
sas, and  spent  the  season  chopping  steamboat  wood. 
While  thus  employed  on  Island  Twenty-eight,  I  had 
the  fortune  to  kill  a  very  large  black  bear,  which  I 
sold  to  a  steamboat  captain  for  what  seemed  to  me 
at  that  time  a  great  price.  The  incident  turned  my 
attention  to  trapping  and  bear  hunting.  I -spent  se- 
veral successive  winters  in  hunting  and  trapping  in 
the  wilds  of  Arkansas.  In  the  winter  of  1851  and 
1852  I  was  employed  in  hunting  wild  hogs  in  the 
Yazoo  bottoms,  for  Peter  Nash,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss. 
I  was  thus  engaged  at  the  time  that  the  fourteen 
French  hunters  \vere  killed  by  wild  hogs  in  the  Yazoo 
bottoms.  I  spent  one  year  as  an  overseer  for  Mr. 
James  Ford,  of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  on  the  French  pal- 
ace plantation,  near  the  fort  of  Island  No.  GO.  My 
summers  were  usually  spent  on  the  Mississippi  an# 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  13 

its  tributaries.  In  the  summer  of  1859  I  went  to 
Pike's  Peak,  and  thence  to  Salt  Lake.  The  winter 
of  18 GO  and  1861  I  was  at  work  on  White  River, 
Ark.,  and  had  several  hands  at  work  with  me,  filling 
a  contract  for  shingles  for  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Hanner,  in  Bolivar  County,  Mississippi. 

In  the  spring  I  commenced  to  deliver  the  shingles, 
but  Mr.  Hanner  refused  to  receive  them,  on  the  ground 
that  the  country  was  engaged  in  war.  His  refusal 
to  receive  them  provoked  me,  and  I  said  to  him,  "All 
you  need  is  a  good  thrashing,  and  then  you'll  behave 
yourself  and  not  talk  so."  That  enraged  him,  and  he 
turned  and  left  me,  muttering  vengeance  as  he  went. 
An  hour  later  he  returned  with  a  party  of  men,  threa- 
tening to  hang  me  if  he  should  catch  me,  but  I  was 
not  to  be  found.  Mr.  Hanner  did  not  accuse  me  of 
being  an  abolitionist  or  a  Northern  man.  He  was 
soon  after  made  Colonel  of  the  17th  Mississippi 
Zouaves.  Knowing  that  my  life  was  in  danger  there, 
I  made  my  way  to  Memphis,  Tenn. 

At  Memphis,  I  found  the  secession  element  deci- 
dedly too  hot  for  me.  I  saw  no  other  way  for  me  to 
do  but  "aid  and  comfort"  the  secession  movement  or 
leave  the  country. 

Lying  at  the  levee  was  a  steamboat  just  getting 
up  steam,  destined,  it  was  said  for  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
She  had  on  board  a  cargo  of  picks,  spades,  wheelbar- 
rows, and  whisky.  I  took  passage  in  her  and  went 
to  Columbus,  Ky.,  and  there  she  stopped  and  com- 
menced to  discharge  her  cargo.  I  soon  learned  that 
she  was  going  no  further. 


14  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

At  that  place  I  came  across  Mr.  James  Ford,  for 
whom  I  had  heen  an  overseer  on  the  French  palace 
plantation.  He  gave  me  a  warm  greeting,  and  said 
that  he  was  glad  that  I  had  come.  He  was  at  that 
time  in  command  of  the  post,  and  engaged  in  forti- 
fying the  place.  He  persuaded  me  to  take  charge 
of  a  gang  of  negroes  and  work  on  the  forts,  which 
I  did,  to  kill  all  suspicion  until  an  opportunity  oc- 
curred for  ine  to  escape.  When  I  had  heen  there 
engaged  for  five  days,  Ihe  steainhoat  Amelia  came 
up  the  river  and  landed,  en  her  way  to  Cairo,  111. 
I  happened  to  know  the  pilot,  and  told  him  that  I 
was  in  a  tight  place,  and  hy  his  assistance  I  secreted 
myself  on  hoard  the  heat  and  went  to  Cairo.  It  was 
the  last  steamer  that  was  allowed  to  pass  by  Colum- 
bus, Ky.,  until  the  place  was  captured  by  the  Federal 
army. 

From  Cairo  I  went  to  Toledo,  0.  Recruiting  for 
the  Federal  army  was  going  on  rapidly  all  over  the 
North.  In  August,  1SG1, 1  visited  the  principal  cities 
in  Ohio,  in  search  of  a  company  of  sharpshooters,  in 
which  to  enlist.  I  found  several  such  organizations, 
but  none  of  them  were  officered  by  men  that  suited 
me.  In  the  month  cf  December,  while  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  I  met  Lieutenant  Downs,  of  the  20th  Ohio  Vo- 
lunteer Infantry,  with  a  squad  of  ten  men,  on  his  way 
to  Trumbull  County  to  recruit.  Liking  the  appear- 
ance cf  his  men,  I  enlisted,  on  condition  that  he 
would  furnish  me  with  an  Enfield  rifle. 
.  From  Columbus  we  took  the  first  train  of  cars  to 
Cleveland ;  it  was  late  in  the  evening  when  we 


SCOUT   AND    SPY  Tf> 

arrived.  Passing  a  boot  and  shoe  store  that  was  yet, 
open,  I  obtained  leave  of  the  Lieutenant  to  remain 
long  enough  to  purchase  a  pair  of  boots  before  going 
to  our  lodgings.  The  Lieutenant  and  party  did  not 
stop,  but  continued  on  to  the  hotel.  After  purchasing 
my  boots,  I  got  into  an  interesting  conversation  with 
the  shopkeeper,  and  remained  somewhat  longer  than 
was  necessary.  I  had  been  intrusted  to  the  care  of 
Corporal  Grinnell,  by  the  Lieutenant,  and  my  long 
absence  had  created  a  suspicion  in  the  mind  of  the 
Corporal  that  I  had  deserted.  He  had  also  heard 
Lieutenant  Bostwick,  while  in  Columbus,  advise 
Lieutenant  Downs  not  to  enlist  me,  for  fear  I  would 
run  away.  At  last  he  started  out  with  three  men 
in  search  of  me,  and  found  me  still  at  the  shop.  I 
have  since  had  many  a  joke  with  Lieutenant  Bost- 
wick and  Corporal  Grinnell  about  their  suspecting 
that  I  would  desert.  They  have  been  among  my 
warmest  friends  in  the  army.  The  next  morning,  at 
eleven  o'clock,  we  reached  Warren.  At  that  place 
the  party  dispersed  to  their  homes,  and  I  was  fur- 
nished boarding  at  the  Eagle  House,  where  I  remained 
for  ten  days. 

On  Monday,  January  8,  18G2,  we  met  to  go  to  the 
regiment,  then  at  Camp  King,  near  Covington,  Ky. 
The  squad  had  increased  by  accession  of  recruits  to 
twenty  men.  Our  journey  passed  off  pleasantly,  and 
in  two  days'  time  we  reached  our  regiment.  The 
party  that  went  home  with  the  Lieutenant  had  car- 
ried their  knapsacks  with  them ;  not  knowing  at  that 
time  the  name  for  them.  I  asked  the  Lieutenant  if 


1C  THE    GREA1    AMERICAN 

he  had  a  "Bunker  Hill"  for  me  to  wear  on  my  "back. 
From  that  expression  I  received  the  name  of  "Bunker," 
and  have  been  more  generally  known  by  that  name 
in  the  army  than  any  other. 

The  next  morning  after  our  arrival  in  camp,  we  were 
marched  over  to  the  Surgeon's  quarters  for  examina- 
tion. From  a  list  of  names  that  the  Lieutenant  had 
handed  him,  the  Surgeon  called  "  Lorain  Ruggles  !  " 

"  Here  I  am,  Doctor,"  I  answered,  what  do  you 
want  of  me  ?  " 

"I  want  to  examine  you,  and  see  if  you  are  sound." 

"Oh,  that's  it,  is  it.  You  need  not  be  to  that  trouble, 
I'm  sound  enough." 

"  Well,  but  I  must  see  whether  you  are  sound  or 
not ;  hold  out  your  hands  ;  work  your  fingers ;  touch 
your  hands  over  your  head." 

Going  through  the  motions,  I  >lded,  "OA,  /  teli 
you  that  I  am  all  right." 

"Are  you  ruptured  ?  "  he  continued. 

"Ruptured!  what  is  that?" 

"Are  you  bursted  ?  " 

"No,  I  ain't  quite  busted  yet;  I've  a  couple  of 
dollars  left." 

"  You  don't  understand  me,  Mr.  Ruggles,"  con- 
tinued the  Surgeon,  placing  his  hands  on  my  abdo- 
men. "Are  your  bowels  all  right  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  understand  you  now  !  They  are  a  little  thin; 
the  rations  don't  relish  tvell  yet." 

The  doctor  secceeded  at  last  in  making  me  under- 
stand, and  having  finished  his  examination,  we  were 
accepted  as  soldiers  in  the  United  States  army. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY,  17 

Like  all  other  recruits,  as  soon  as  mustered  in  I 
was  placed  under  drill.  To  me  the  "steps"  and 
"facings,"  "times"  and  "motions,"  were  perfectly  in- 
comprehensible. I  formed  a  dislika  to  them  that  I 
could  never  get  over.  I  was  expert  in  the  forest  at 
handling  my  piece,  and  I  did  not  see  why  the  same 
times  and  motions  that  would  kill  a  bear  would  not 
kill  a  "reb." 


18  THE   GREAT  AMERICAN 


CHAPTER,  II. 

Moves  to  Cincinnati— Detailed  to  guard  the  forts— Meets  a  secesh  lady- 
First  scout— Unexpected  visit  of  tho  Colonel— The  drill— Bad  report— 
The  mischief  investigated — Attempts  to  discover  the  rogues — Innocent 
man  accused— Tho  accusers  skedaddle— Who  got  the  chickens. 

SHORTLY  after  I  joined  the  regiment  it  moved  to 
the  city  barracks  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  It  was  the 
duty  of  the  regiment  at  that  time  to  guard  the  forti- 
fications that  had  been  built  to  protect  the  cities  of 
Cincinnati,  Covington,  and  Newport.  Not  long  after 
we  arrived  at  the  barracks,  company  "H,"  to  which 
I  belonged,  was  detailed  for  a  three  days'  tour  at 
guarding  the  line  of  defenses.  Lieutenant  Downs, 
with  a  squad  consisting  of  three  sergeants  and  twen- 
ty-seven men,  was  sent  to  guard  that  part  of  the  de- 
fenses known  as  the  Three-mile  Batteries.  I  was  one 
of  the  squad. 

These  batteries  formed  a  chain  of  defenses  running 
eastward  from  the  Licking  River  at  a  distance  of 
two  miles  and  a  half  south  of  the  city  of  Newport. 
Beginning  near  the  Licking  River,  was  situated  Fort 
Shaler ;  a  mile  and  a  half  east  was  Fort  Stuart,  and  a 
mile  and  a  half  east  of  that  was  Beechwoods  Battery. 

The  detail  was  divided  into  three  squads,  of  a 
sergeant  and  nine  men  each,  for  each  of  the  three 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  19 

forts.  I  was  one  of  the  squad  that  went  to  Fort  Stuart. 
That  fort  being  between  the  other  two,  was  made 
head-quarters  of  the  officer  commanding  the  detail. 

"We  crossed  the  Ohio  River  on  a  ferry-boat  to  New- 
port, and  then  marched  out.  When  we  had  gone  about 
half-way  to  the  forts,  we  were  met  by  a  lady  in  a 
carriage,  who  as  we  passed,  called  out,  "  Hurrah  for 
Jeff.  Davis!"  We  took  it  as  a  down-right  insult,  but 
passed  along  without  making  any  disturbance.  We 
soon  overtook  a  young  man,  who  told  us  where  tho 
lady  lived,  who  she  was,  and  also  that  she  was  a 
secesh,  and  that  her  sentiments  were  well  known  in 
the  neighborhood.  She  was  a  widow. 

The  next,  morning  I  asked  Lieutenant  Downs  for 
the  privilege  of  taking  -three  men  with  me  to  scout 
the  neighborhood  for  information  concerning  its  dis- 
loyalty. He  granted  the  request,  on  condition  that 
we  report  back  promptly  by  2  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. We  were  allowed  to  take  our  arms  with  us. 

We  visited  all  the  neighbors  living  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  lady's  residence,  and  they  all 
confirmed  what  we  had  heard  of  her  disloyalty.  We 
then  went  to  her  house,  but  found  that  she  was  ab- 
sent. The  members  of  her  family  said  that  she  was 
not  disloyal,  but  very  strongly  sympathized  with  the 
secession  movement.  Her  negroes  said  she  was  se- 
cesh. We  were  treated  courteously  by  the  family, 
and  urged  to  stay  to  dinner,  which  we  did.  While 
the  dinner  was  being  prepared,  we  enlivened  the 
time  by  narrating  our  carnp  stories,  very  much  to 
their  amusement.  When  we  were  about  to  take  oi?r 


20  THE    GKKAT    AMKKICAN 

departure,  we  were  invited  to  come  the  next  day  and 
bring  our  Lieutenant.  The  invitation  was  pressed  so 
hard  that  we  promised  to  come. 

At  the  hour  specified,  we  reported  to  our  Lieuten- 
ant, and  gave  him  all  the  information  that  we  had 
gathered  concerning  the  woman's  disloyalty  and  the 
feeling  that  existed  against  her  among  her  neighbors. 
It  was  determined,  in  consequence  of  the  insult  that 
we  had  received,  and  her  known  sympathy  with  the 
enemy,  to  lay  the  matter  before  the  Colonel  on  our 
return  to  the  regiment. 

The  next  day  was  very  rainy,  so  we  did  not  repeat 
our  visit  as  we"  had  promised  to  do.  About  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  we  were  very  much  surprised  by  the 
appearance  of  Colonel  Force  at  the  fort.  Had  he  come 
in  the  night  it  would  not  have  surprised  us,  because 
he  had  become  proverbial  for  "  making  the  rounds," 
especially  in  bad  weather.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival 
the  Lieutenant  was  absent,  inspecting  the  other  forts. 

The  manner  of  the  Colonel  seemed  strange.  He 
was  very  inquisitive  about  our  rations — whether  they 
held  out  and  whether  we  had  had  any  other  than 
Government  rations ;  he  also  inquired  whether  any 
of  us  had  been  absent  from  the  fort  at  any  time.  I 
then  told  him  of  our  trip  the  day  before.  He  then 
inquired  if  we  had  any  of  us  been  there  since,  and 
we  answered  in  the  negative.  He  then  inspected 
our  ration-boxes,  and  the  ground  all  about  the  fort, 
examining  carefully  the  wood-pile,  fence-corners,  and 
bushes,  evidently  looking  for  somethingon  the  ground. 
After  haying  finished  his  search  he  did  not  seem  sa- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  2i 

tisfied,  but  acted  as  if  he  was  disappointed  in  some- 
thing. We  were  all  sure  that  "something  was  up." 

Having  finished  his  inspection,  he  told  me  to  get 
my  gun  and  he  would  drill  me  in  the  manual  while 
he  was  waiting  for  the  return  of  the  Lieutenant.  I 
got  along  finely  in  all  the  movements  until  he  gave 
the  command,  "Charge — bayonet." 

It  being  the  most  natural  for  me,  I  brought  ray 
piece  down  to  my  left  side,  with  a  half-face  to  the  left 
instead  of  to  the  right,  as  I  ought  to  have  done. 

"  Not  so,  not  so — the  other  way;  there— fix  it  so," 
said  the  Colonel,  fixing  it  in  its  proper  position. 

"  I  can  never  charge  bayonet  that  way." 

"  Hold  it  fast ;  let  me  try  it,"  said  he,  putting  his 
hand  against  the  muzzle  of  the  piece. 

"  I  will  if  I  can."  He  pushed,  and  over  I  went  to 
the  ground.  Springing  up  and  resuming  my  old  po- 
sition of  half- face  to  the  left.  "  You  can't  do  that 
again ;  now  try." 

The  Colonel  did  try,  but  could  not  budge  me.  He 
then  told  me  to  put  up  my  gun.  I  had  become  ex- 
tremely anxious  to  know  what  had  brought  him  over, 
and  I  resolved  to  give  him  a  hint  to  that  effect ;  so 
I  said  to  him,  "Colonel,  you  must  like  the  military 
profession  pretty  well!" 

"Why  so?  what  makes  you  think  that?" 

"  Because  you  came  all  the  way  over  here  from 
Cincinnati  just  to  drill  me." 

The  Colonel  smiled,  but  he  said  nothing.  By  this 
time  the  Lieutenant  made  his  appearance.  The  Col- 
onel took  him  on  side  and  had  some  private  conver- 


22  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

sation,  and  then  left.  We  learned  from  the  Lieute- 
nant that  complaint  had  been  made  at  the  head- 
quarters that  a  squad  of  men  from  the  forts  had  been 
to  Mrs. 's  house  the  night  before  and  taken  pos- 
session with  fixed  bayonets,  and  demanded  meat, 
butter,  chickens,  and  potatoes,  and  threatened  if  the 
articles  demanded  were  not  given  them,  they  would 
help  themselves.  The  lady  remonstrated,  and  finally 
begged  of  them  not  to  disturb  her  property,  but  all  to 
no  purpose.  They  then  helped  themselves  to  such 
articles  as  they  wanted,  including  about  thirty 
chickens. 

The  Lieutenant  seemed  surprised  to  hear  such  re- 
ports about  his  men.  He  questioned  us  closely,  as 
the  Colonel  had  done,  but  all  to  no  purpose ;  every 
man  denied  knowing  any  thing  about  the  outrage. 
He  searched  the  premises  for  any  traces  of  chickens, 
such  as  offal,  bones,  or  feathers,  but  none  could  be 
found. 

The  lady  had  represented  to  the  Colonel  that  the 
soldiers  that  committed  the  outrage  wore  dark  blue 
blouses,  and  carried  muskets  with  bayonets.  The 
soldiers  of  no  other  regiment  about  there  wore  that 
kind  of  uniform  or  carried  that  kind  of  arms.  When 
the  Colonel  left  Fort  Stuart,  he  went  over  to  the 
Beechwoods  Battery,  and  there  the  same  investigation 
was  made,  but  with  no  better  result.  Five  of  the  men 
that  accompanied  me  to  the  lady's  house  were  taken 
over  to  see  if  they  would  be  identified  as  having  been 
there  in  the  night,  but  the  members  of  the  family 
said  they  were  not  among  the  number.  It  was  then 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  23 

arranged  that  the  members  of  the  family  should  go 
over  to  the  barracks  the  day  that  we  would  return, 
and  see  if  they  could  identify  the  men  on  dress  pa- 
rade, that  did  the  mischief. 

During  the  balance  of  our  stay  at  the  forts,  the 
Lieutenant  was  very  strict  with  us,  and  watched 
narrowly  every  movement  that  we  made,  but  dis- 
covered no  evidence  of  guilt.  On  our  way  back  to 
the  barracks,  as  we  passed  through  the  streets  of  New- 
port and  Cincinnati,  we  seemed  to  be  observed  with 
more  than  usual  interest,  on  account  of  the  notoriety 
given  us  by  the  report.  Dress  parade  came,  and  with 
it  two  members  of  the  family,  one  a  son  of  the  lady, 
to  point  out  the  guilty  soldiers.  When  the  parade  was 
over  the  companies  were  all  dismissed  but  company 
li  II."  The  two  persons  then  passed  along  the  line, 
and  succeeded  in  pointing  out  one  man.  He  was  a 
man  of  unexceptionable  character,  and  the  very  last 
man  in  the  company  that  would  have  been  guilty  of 
such  a  thing ;  and  besides  he  had  been  on  duty  at 
the  fort  next  to  the  river,  which  was  more  than  three 
miles  distant  from  the  lady's  house. 

Whatever  suspicions  the  officers  of  the  company 
might  have  had  of  their  men,  they  were  then 
well  convinced  that  an  innocent  man  had  been 
wrongfully  accused.  The  Colonel  still  believed  that 
some  of  the  men  in  the  company  had  done  it.  It  was 
then  arranged  that  the  son  should  return  the  next 
day  and  bring  another  member  of  the  family  —  a 
young  man  that  was  teaching  there  —  and  see  if  he 
would  have  any  better  success. 


24 


THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


Passes  were  prohibited  us  for  ten  days.  Each  one 
of  the  men  on  detail  at  the  forts  were  examined  se- 
parately, and  I  was  called  in  for  examination  several 
times.  After  he  had  questioned  me  over  and  over 
again,  I  said  to  him,  "Look  here  Colonel,  that  would 
he  a  smart  trick  for  new  recruits,  wouldn't  it? 
Besides,  they  tell  me,  Colonel,  that  you  are  like  a 
comet ;  that  you  come  when  no  man  knoweth  it. 
Supposing  that  you  had  "made  the  rounds"  that  night, 
and  found  the  men  gone.  By  and  by  the  guard  would 
call  out,  'Halt!  who  comes  there?'  What  would  have 
been  the  reply?  I  tell  you,  Colonel,  United  States 
soldiers  don't  get  disgraced  that  way !" 

The  Colonel  then  walked  his  room  back  and  forth, 
as  if  in  a  deep  study,  then  facing  me,  said :  "Is  this 
the  first  time  you  were  ever  caught  in  a  scrape  of 
this  kind  ?" 

"You  have'nt  caught  me  in  this  yet"  I  replied. 

"That  will  do,"  said  he,  "you  are  either  innocent 
or  very  well  drilled!  You  can  go  to  your  quarters." 

The  next  afternoon  the  two. young  men  came  over. 
When  they  arrived,  the  battalion  was  on  drill  except 
the  new  recruits.  While  watching  the  drill,  the  son 
of  the  lady  undertook  to  point  out  to  the  man  that 
accompanied  him  the  person  that  ho  had  previously 
pointed  out.  That,  I  thought,  was  not  fair.  I  told 
the  new  recruits  what  was  being  done  and  they  ali 
began  to  gather  around  the  'two  young  men  to 
frighten  them  off.  Some  would  cackle  like  hens; 
some  crow  like  roosters ;  some  pinned  paper  on  their 
coat-tails;  others  would  slip  pork  rinds  into  their  coat 


SCOUT    AM»     SL'l'.  25 

pockets,  and  then  accuse  them  of  stealing  soap 
grease  from  the  poor  soldiers! 

.  It  was  a  rougher  reception  than  they  had  bargained 
for,  and  as  soon  as  the  crowd  opened  they  broke  for 
the  street  and  never  came  back  again. 

The  "chicken  scrape"  is  among  the  incidents  of  the 
past.  Several  of  tho  men  of  the  detachment  that 
were  in  the  forts  at  that  time  have  nobly  sacrificed 
their  lives,  and  others  their  health,  in  the  cause  of 
their  country;  and,  however  well  they  loved  chickens, 
they  have  all  since  proved  themselves  brave,  heroic 
soldiers.  In  a  future  reckoning,  the  depredations 
committed  that  night  will  vanish  when  weighed  by 
the  "  hurrahs  for  Jeff.  Davis"  by  the  lady  in  the 
carriage. 

I  leave  the  reader  to  draw  his  own  conclusions, 
"but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  somebody  got  the, 
chickens. 


26  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  III. 

"Marching  orders"  —  First  battle— Arrives  at  Fort  Donelson  —  The  sni- 
rendcr  —  Goes  North  \vith  prisoners  —  Meets  an  old  friend  as  a  rebel 
Captain  — The  Captain  attempts  to  bride  him  —  Expedition  up  the 
Tennessee  River —Touching  incident  — Battle  of  Shiloh  — Captures  an 
Enfield  — Eecommeuded  as  a  scout. 

ON  the  9th  day  of  February,  18G2,  the  regiment 
received  "marching  orders."  It  was  a  day  of  hurry 
and  excitement.  The  order  was  received  with  de- 
light by  the  men,  for  they  had  become  tired  of  the 
dull  monotony  of  guard  duty,  and  were  eager  for  a 
change. 

It  was  a  wet  day,  and  the  streets  were  filled  with 
mud  and  slush  from  the  rain  and  melting  snow,  and 
our  feet  dragged  heavily  as  we  marched  to  the  levee, 
but  nevertheless,  our  hearts  were  light  and  cheerful. 
Little  did  we  realize  the  hardship,  the  privations,  and 
the  sufferings  that  were  in  store  for  us,  or  think  of 
the  change  that  would  take  place  ere  we  returned  to 
the  soil  of  our  own  loved  State. 

Two  transports  —  the  Emma  Duncan  and  the  Dr. 
Kane  —  were  ready  for  us  at  the  levee,  and  we  em- 
barked on  board  of  them,  and  were  soon  under  way. 
At  Warsaw,  Ky.,  we  took  on  board  two  companies 
that  had  been  doing  duty  there,  and  then  proceeded 
on  our  way.  We  had  an  abundance  of  room — which 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  27 

added  much  to  our  comfort — and  a  pleasant  trip  all 
the  way  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  where  we  reported  for  orders 
on  the  13th  of  February. 

We  were  immediately  ordered  to  report  to  Gen- 
eral U.  S.  Grant,  near  Fort  Donelson,  without  delay, 
and  in  a  few  hours,  we  were  under  way.  We  readi- 
ed our  destination  Friday  afternoon,  February  14th. 
The  fighting  had  commenced,  and  at  the  time  of  our 
arrival  our  gun-boats  were  engaged  with  the  rebel 
batteries  in  sight  of  where  we  landed. 

The  regiment  was  ordered  to  report  to  Colonel — 
since  Brigadier-General — Me  Arthur,  commanding  a 
brigade  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  Federal  lines. 
To  reach  our  position  we  had  to  make  a  march  of  ten 
miles.  The  weather  was  cold,  and  the  ground  cov- 
ered with  several  inches  of  snow.  We  started  very 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  to  take  our  position. 
Being  unused  to  inarching  with  heavy  knapsacks,  the 
march  was  fatiguing  to  us  in  the  extreme.  We  suc- 
ceeded, however,  in  getting  our  position  in  line  of 
battle  by  10  o'clock,  A.  M. 

At  the  time  we  took  our  position  the  battle  was 
raging  with  intense  fury.  The  roar  of  musketry,  the 
crash  of  artillery,  the  scream  of  shells,  the  whiz  of 
bullets,  and  the  sight  of  the  dead  and  wounded  were 
not  calculated  to  fill  the  minds  of  inexperienced  sol- 
diers with  very  pleasant  sensations;  nevertheless, 
every  man  of  the  regiment  exhibited  a  coolness  and 
firmness  that  won  hi  do  honor  to  veterans  in  battle. 

The  Colonel  ordered  "by  companies,  right  wheel, 
unsling  knapsacks.  Battalion — 4  ranks,  right  face. 


28  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

Anns  port,  forward  and  double  quick."  We  went  about 
80  rods  toward  the  front,  when  the  command  came, 
"Halt,"  and  "side  steps  to  the  left— front."  The  road 
we  went  down  on  was  all  covered  with  blood,  dead 
and  wounded  on  either  side,  a  horrible  sight,  indeed, 
for  raw  recruits. 

Down  went  the  Chicago  Battery,  drawn  by  six 
horses.  When  the  horses  began  to  smell  the  powder 
and  saw  the  blood,  their  eyes  flashed  fire,  their  ears 
were  laid  back,  their  mouths  wide  open,  and  they 
seemed  inspired  with  anew  intelligence,  and  dashed 
on  like  a  thunder  bolt  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy's 
ranks.  The  Colonel  then  gave  commend,  "Right  lace, 
forward  !"  We  moved  down  in  front  of  the  enemy 
and  formed  the  line  of  battle,  and  stood  in  the  posi- 
tion of  order  arms ! 

Soon  we  saw  the  rebel  Cavalry,  1500  strong,  move 
up  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  and  drawing  their  sabres, 
with  a  shout,  at  full  speed,  they  charged  upon  us. 
My  nerves  began  to  twitch  and  my  hair  stood  up, 
and  I  said  to  my  comrades,  "Yonder  they  come,  boys, 
now  let  us  give  it  to  them  !"  On  they  came !  —  The 
Colonel  ordered  us  to  fire,  and  we  went  at  it  in  earnest. 
The  enemy  were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter  and 
driven  into  their  works.  We  were  in  the  fight  about 
one  hour,  and  our  guns  were  so  hot  that  we  could 
scarcely  hold  them.  This  was  about  10  A.M.  At 
20  minutes  before  4  o'clock  we  engaged  their  infantry 
for  one  hour  and  40  minutes,  in  which  time  we  had 
160  men  killed,  besides  the  Avounded. 

Toward  night  the  enemy  withdrew  within  his  for- 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  29 

tifications.  That  night  we  slept  on  our  arms,  in  line 
of  battle,  on  the  snow  covered  ground,  expecting  to 
renew  the  battle  in  the  morning.  The  next  morn- 
ing— Sunday — about  nine  o'clock,  the  news  came 
that  Fort  Donelson  had  surrendered. 

Such  shouts  as  went  up  from  that  army  had  never 
been  heard  before.  From  one  end  of  the  line  to  the 
other,  cheer  after  cheer  went  up,  until  it  seemed  as 
if  the  trees  of  the  forest  were  repeating  the  shouts. 
It  was  a  glorious  victory!  It  exceeded  by  far  any  vic- 
tory previously  achieved  since  the  commencement  of 
the  rebellion.  Over  15,000  prisoners  were  captured, 
besides  an  immense  amount  of  artillery  and  small 
arms. 

The  20th  Ohio  was  one  of  the  regiments  that  was 
detailed  to  guard  the  prisoners  to  the  North.  Com- 
panies A  and  II  were  assigned  to  the  steamer  Em- 
press, and  were  intrusted  with  the  guarding  of  2,300 
prisoners.  Soon  after  daylight  on  Monday  morning 
we  were  on  our  way  down  the  Cumberland  River. 

Nothing  of  unusal  interest  occurred  until  we  ar- 
rived at  Bloody  Island,  opposite  St.Louis,  Mo.,  where 
we  were  to  land  the  prisoners  and  embark  them  on 
board  the  cars  for  Chicago,  111.  It  was  in  the  even 
ing  when  we  arrived  there,  and  the  prisoners  remained 
on  board  until  the  next  day. 

I  was  on  guard  that  night,  and  my  post  was  at 
the  gangway,  with  instructions  to  prevent,  at  all  haz- 
ards, any  attempt  of  prisoners  to  go  ashore.  About 
1  o'clock  at  night  a  rebel  Captain  stepped  up  to  me, 
and  addressing  me  by  name,  said,  "  I  low  are  you?  " 


30  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

I  recognized  him  as  an  old  friend  by  the  name 
of  Captain  Brown,  with  whom  I  had  formed  an  ac- 
quaintance at  Island  No.  Twenty-eight,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1852.  At  that  time  he  was  the  owner  and 
captain  of  the  Memphis  and  Nashville  packet  steamer 
Sligo,  When  the  rebellion  broke  out  he  raised  a 
company  at  Nashville,  and  was  made  a  captain  in 
the  — th  Tennessee  Infantry.  At  one  time,  while  in 
difficulty  in  Memphis,  Captain  Brown  had  rendered 
me  valuable  assistance. 

"  How  are  yon?  "said  I,  as  soon  as  I  discovered  who 
it  was.  "  AVhat  are  you  doing  here?  " 

"I'm  a  prisoner,  and  my  old  friend  is  guarding  me.7' 

"  Yes,  I  see!  Quite  a  change  since  you  and  I  last 
met. " 

';  Yes,  something  of  a  change!  I  hardly  expected 
to  meet  you  in  arms  against  me!  You  have  lived  a 
long  time  in  the  South.  Do  you  think  that  you  are 
doing  exactly  right  to  take  up  arms  against  us?  " 

"  The  old  government  and  the  old  flag  are  good 
enough  for  me,  "  I  replied,  "and  I  mean  to  stick  by 
them  so  long  as  I  live. " 

"  Do  you  expect  to  pin  the  States  together  again 
with  bayonets?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  we  shall  pin  the  States  to- 
gether again  or  not;  but  I  do  know  one  thing,  well 
have  the  soil  back  again,  whether  we  have  the  peo- 
ple or  not.  " 

"  See  here!  "  said  he.  "  Do  you  remember  of  my 
assisting  you  one  time  in  Memphis,  when  you  was  in 
trouble?  " 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  31 

"Certainly  I  do!  And  you  had  my  gratitude  for  it." 

"  Well,  I  am  in  trouble.  Can  you  render  me  any 
assistance?" 

"I  will,  if  I  can." 

"Well,  you  can." 

"How?" 

"  By  letting  me  cross  your  beat  and  go  ashore." 

i;  /  can't  do  that." 

"  Why  not?     I  helped  you  ;  why  not  help  me?" 

"  Because  I  am  no  traitor  to  my  country!  I  never 
asked  you  to  raise- your  hand  against  your  country 
to  assist  me." 

"  Here  take  this  watch  ;  perhaps  I  can  buy  you," 
said  he,  offering  me  a  splendid  gold  watch. 

"  Not  much,  you  can't  buy  me  !  I  think  too  much 
of  the  stars  and  stripes  for  that." 

"  Take  it,"  said  he,  '•  and  let  me  cross  your  beat, 
and  I'll  give  you  a  hundred  dollars  in  gold  besides." 

"/  carit  do  it"  said  I:  "dont  you  ask  me  again" 

Captain  Brown  went  away  quite  disappointed,  sat- 
isfied, I  presume,  that  gold  was  not  at  par  with 
genuine  patriotism. 

We  guarded  the  prisoners  to  Camp  Douglas,  near 
Chicago,  111.,  where  we  remained  nine  days,  and  then 
returned  to  Bloody  Island,  were  we  arrived  on  the 
Gth  clay  of  March.  That  night  the  regiment  embarked 
on  board  the  steamer  Continental,  for  Paducah,  Ky., 
which  place  we  reached  in  time  to  join  in  the  grand 
expedition  up  the  Tennessee  River. 

At  Paducah,  General  Sherman  and  staff  came  on 
board  the  Continental,  and  made  it  his  head-quarters; 


32  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

and  that  boat,  preceded  by  the  gun-boats,  led  the  fleet. 

When  under  way.  that  vast  fleet  of  steamers,  load- 
ed  down  with  troops,  as  they  moved  along,  one  after 
another,  at  nearly  equal  distances  apart,  presented  a 
grand  and  imposing  appearance.  The  weather  was 
mild  and  pleasant,  which  added  much  to  the  interest 
of  the  trip.  The  banks  of  the  river  often  presented 
crowds  of  people  that  had  gathered  to  witness 
the  grand  display  of  force  that  was  penetrating  the 
territory  of  the  rebellion.  Sometimes  we  were  cheered 
by  the  crowds  that  lined  the  banks,  indicating  their 
loyalty,  and  at  other  times  a  sullen  silence  told 
plainly  that  we  were  not  welcome. 

One  little  incident  occurred  that  I  shall  never  forget, 
We  had  on  board  a  citizen  of  Tennessee,  who  owned 
a  large  plantation  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Tennessee 
River,  about  eight  miles  below  Savannah.  He  was  an 
exile  from  home  on  account  of  his  devotion  to  the 
Union.  An  attempt  was  made  by  his  neighbors  to 
capture  and  hang  him,  but  he  succeeded  in  making 
his  escape,  and  in  getting  through  to  Paducah,  Ivy., 
after  having  suffered  a  great  deal  from  hunger  and 
exposure,  incident  to  traveling  by  night,  through 
forests  and  swamps,  to  evade  discovery.  The  last  that 
his  family  had  heard  from  him  was  that  his  disloyal 
neighbors  were  in  pursuit  of  him,  determined  to 
hang  him,  and  they  did  not  know  whether  he  was 
still  living. 

As  we  neared  his  plantation,  a  group  of  persons 
was  observed  standing  on  the  bank  of  the  river  not  far 
from  his  residence.  He  requested  the  captain  of  the 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  S3 

boat,  as  we  passed,  to  run  the  boat  near  the  shore, 
so  that  he  might  recognize  his  wife  and  children,  if 
they  were  there.  The  crowd  on  the  deck  of  the 
steamer  moved  back,to  give  him  a  large  clear  space, 
that  his  family  might  more  readily  recognize  him. 
As  the  boat  neared  the  shore  the  group  proved  to  be 
his  wife,  children  and  servants,  gazing  with  intense 
interest  at  the  passing  fleet.  It  was  a  touching  scene, 
when  that  exile  from  home  recognized  his  loved  ones. 

"I  am  alive !  It  is  me!"  he  shouted,  swinging  his 
hat.  "  I  am  coming  home!  Glory  to  God  !  The  Union 
forever!  Hallelujah!  Glory!  Glory!"  etc.  lie  jum- 
ped and  shouted  as  if  in  ecstasies  of  delight. 

Such  manifestations  of  Jove  for  home  «and  country 
are  unmistakable  evidences  of  patriotism  and  loyalty. 
The  incident  is  but  one  of  thousands  that  have  been 
witnessed  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war. 

From  that  time  on,  nothing  of  special  interest  oc- 
cured  in  my  experience  until  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  or 
Pittsburg  Landing.  The  battle  was  fought  on  the 
Gth  and  7th  of  April.  1SG2.  I  acted  my  part  in  that 
bloody  conflict,  but  the  details  of  the  battle  I  must 
leave  to  the  pen  of  tho  historian.  At  that  battle  I 
succeeded  in  capturing  an  Enfield  rifle.  My  "hand- 
spike" was  turned  over,  and  with  it  dissipated  tho 
disgust  with  which  I  had  carried  it. 

The  next  day  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  a  circular 
was  sent  to  the  company  commanders,  from  brigade 
head-quarters,  requesting  them  to  send  in  the  names 
of  such  men  as  were  trustworthy  and  suitable  for 
scouts.  Tho  Captain  sent  in  my  name  as  one,  which 


34  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

opened  the  way  for  the  experiences  that  I  shall  nar- 
rate in  the  following  chapters. 

Early  in  June,  soon  after  the  evacuation  of  Corinth, 
the  20th  Ohio  Regiment  moved  to  Bolivar,  and  soon 
after  to  Grand  Junction,  Tenn. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  35 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Rumored  attack  upon  Grand  Junction — "General  Bunker"  sent  out  as  spy 
— Passes  himself  as  a  rebel  soldier — Falls  in  with  rebel  cavalry — Visits 
a  rebel  camp —  Attempts  to  deprive  him  of  his  revolver  —  Discovers  a 
Yankee  forage  party  —  Undertakes  to  return  —  Captured  by  Yankees, 
and  robbed  of  his  revolver  and  money — Passes  as  a  rebel  spy — Sent  to 
the  Provost  Marshal —  Sent  to  General  Hurlbut  —  Returned  to  Grand 
Junction. 

SOON  after  the  evacuation  of  Corinth  hy  the  forces 
under  General  Beauregard,  a  part  of  General  Grant's 
army  was  distributed  along  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
and  the  Mississippi  Central,  and  also  the  Memphis 
and  Charleston  Railroads,  to  garrison  the  principal 
towns  and  open  up  communication  for  supplies  by 
railroad  instead  of  by  the  Tennessee  River,  which 
was  becoming  so  low  as  to  be  an  uncertain  route  for 
supplies. 

At  the  time  I  speak  of,  frrand  Junction  was  gar- 
isoned  by  a  small  brigade  of  infantry  and  a  battery 
of  artillery,  under  command  of  Brigadier-General 
M.'D.  Leggett.  Grand  Junction  is  situated  on  the 
Mississippi  Central  Railroad  at  its  junction  with  the 
Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad,  and  was  an  ex- 
posed outpost. 

A  rumor  had  become  current  among  the  citizens 
that  a  large  force  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  was  in  the 


3G  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

vicinity,  preparing- to  capture  the  brigade  garrisoning 
the  post.  General  Grant,  who  was  still  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  informed  General  Leggett  by  telegraph  that 
his  command  was  in  danger ;  that  an  attempt  would 
be  made  to  capture  his  force ;  that  he  would  be  at- 
tacked on  his  right  by  cavalry  and  on  his  left  by  in- 
fantry, and  advised  him  to  vacate  the  place  and  fall 
back  to  Bolivar,  twenty  miles  north  of  Grand  Junc- 
tion, where  the  Mississippi  Central  Railroad  crosses 
the  Hatchee  River.  The  enemy's  force  was  represen- 
ted to  be  9000  cavalry  at  Davis'  Mills,  and  three  bri- 
gades of  cavalry  at  what  is  known  as  the  White 
Church,  on  Wolf  River,  the  former  nine  and  the  latter 
twelve  miles  from  Grand  Junction,  in  a  south-west 
direction.  An  additional  force  of  a  division  of  infantry 
were  said  to  be  at  Salem,  seventeen  miles  south-east 
of  Grand  Junction. 

General  Leggett  had  some  doubts  about  the  rebels 
having  very  much  force  near  the  place,  and  the  largo 
quantities  of  cotton  that  were  being  brought  in,  and 
the  abundance  of  com  for  forage,  made  it  an  object 
to  hold  the  place  as  long  as  prudence  would  admit, 
land  he  resolved  to  ascertain  whether  there  was  any 
cause  for  alarm  before  vacating  it. 

General  Leggett  sent  for  me  and  told  me  what  he 
wanted,  and  asked  me  if  I  was  willing  to  undertake 
the  job.  It  was  the  first  opportunity  that  I  had  ever 
had  of  working  as  a  spy,  and  I  had  for  a  long  time 
been  anxious  to  try  my  hand  at  it,  and  I  felt  certain 
that  I  could  do  the  Government  more  good  in  that 
way  than  in  any  other.  It  was  my  time  to  strike  and 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  37 

I  determined  to  improve  it.  I  told  General  Leggett 
that  I  was  willing1  to  try,  and  would  do  the  best 
that  I  could,  and  if  I  got  back  safe,  "all  right;"  if 
not,  my  fate  would  be  no  worse  than  that  of  others 
before  me. 

I  returned  to  my  quarters  and  made  the  necessary 
arrangements,  and  the  next  morning,  at  daylight,  I 
started  out  on  the  road  to  Salem,  disguised  as  a  Con- 
federate soldier  belonging  to  infantry. 

A  confederate  commissioned  officer,  disguised  in  ci- 
tizen's dress,  was  standing  by  and  heart  Gen.  Leggett 
give  the  order,  and  watched  carefully  the  instructions. 
He  went  then  to  the  Provost  Marshal  to  obtain  a 
pass  to  go  out  on  the  same  road  and  at  the  same  time 
of  my  instruction. 

James  E.  Bader,  Corporal  of  the  Provost  Guard, 
was  standing  by  and  saw  him  paying  particular  at- 
tention to  my  instructions  and  the  road  I  was  to  take. 
After  he  had  received  his  pass,  Bader  said  to  Captain 
Jacobs,  the  Provost  Marshal,  "  That  fellow  was 
watching  Bunker's  instructions,  when  Gen.  Leggett 
gave  them."  "  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  him,"  said 
the  Captain,  "  he  will  be  obliged  to  call  here  in  the 
morning  to  get  his  pass  dated,  and  I  will  give  him  an 
examination." 

At  sunrise  next  morning,  about  an  hour  after  I  had 
started,  he  appeared  with  two  ladies,  in  a  'buggy, 
from  which  he  sprang,  and  went  into  the  office  of  the 
Provost  Marshal  for  the  date  of  his  pass.  The  ex- 
amination resulted  in  the  capture  of  an  officer  in 
the  rebel  army,  two  navy  revolvers  and  a  sword 


38  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

under  the  buggy  seat,  where  the  two  ladies  were 
sitting,  which  saved  me  from  difficulty,  and  another 
prisoner  was  sent  North  for  violation  of  the  oath  of 
aiiegiance. 

Thanks  to  James  E.  Bader,  for  had  this  man  re- 
ceived his  pass,  it  would  probably  have  been  the  last 
of  Bunker,  and  this  book  had  never  been  written. 

The  day  was  clear  and  pleasant,  and  a  recent 
shower  had  laid  the  dust  and  cooled  the  air,  and 
made  it  much  pleasanter  traveling  than  is  apt  to  bo 
the  case  in  that  country  in  the  month  of  July.  I  was 
on  foot,  and  the  coolness  of  the  atmosphere  very  much 
facilitated  my  progress.  I  was  not  interrupted  until 
I  had  gone  about  eight  miles,  when  I  observed,  as  I 
approached  a  planter's  house,  a  negro  woman  in  the 
yard,  engaged  in  churning  Being  somewhat  fond 
of  buttermilk,  I  resolved  to  pay  the  inmates  a  visit. 
As  I  drew  near  the  house,  a  lady  came  to  the  door, 
and,  observing  iny  Confederate  uniform,  seemed 
pleased  to  see  me,  and  asked  me  to  walk  in  and  bo 
seated,  to  which  I  complied. 

"Where  have  you  been?"  she  inquired. 

"  I  have  been  out  to  the  Yankee  pickets,  and  had 
a  fight  with  them  last  night  and  killed  three  of  the 
Yankee  scamps.  They  killed  my  horse  for  me  in  the 
fight,  and  I  am  going  back  to  Salem  to  get  another 
that  I  -left  there.  I  have  walked  until  I  am  tired. 
Seeing  a  woman  churning  in  the  yard,  I  thought  I 
would  stop  and  rest  myself,  and  see  if  you  would 
have  the  kindness  to  give  mo  a  drink  of  buttermilk." 

"  I  am  glad  you  did.    You  shall  have  all  the  butter- 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  39 

milk  you  want.     You  are  not  a-gwine  to  walk  to 
Salem,  are  you?" 

"  Yes.  I've  got  another  horse  there,  and  I  don't 
like  to  trouble  any  body  for  the  use  of  one." 

"Well,  now,  you  are  not  a-gwine  to  walk  down 
thai;  we've  got  heaps  o' horses  and  mules,  and  you 
shall  have  one  to  ride.  Bob!  Bob!  "  calling  to  a  dar- 
key in  the  yard,  "  you  run  right  quick  to  the  cotton- 
gin  and  fetch  your  master." 

While  Bob  went  on  a  double-quick  for  his  master, 
the  lady  ordered  me  some  buttermilk  and  wheat  bis- 
cuit. While  I  was  eating,  the  planter  came  in. 

"Lord  bless  you,  John!"  exclaimed  the  lady,  as 
her  husband  entered,  "  here  is  one  ofow  soldiers,  and 
he  has  had  a  light  with  the  Yankee  pickets  and  has 
killed  three  of  them!  lie  says  he's  gwine  to  walk 
to  Salem  after  another  horse.  I  tell  him  that  he's 
not  a-gwine  to  walk  when  we've  got  heaps  o'  mules! 
I  think  any  of  our  soldiers  that  has  killed  three 
Yankees  is  entitled  to  a  mule  to  ride!" 

"  You  can  have  a  mule  in  welcome;  there's  no  oc- 
casion for  you  to  walk,"  said  the  planter, 

"  Thank  you!"  said  I,  "  I  am  under  very  great  ob- 
ligations to  you  for  your  kindness,  but  it  may  not  bo 
possible  for  me  to  return  this  way.  I  will  not  take 
a  mule,  but  I  am  a  thousand  times  obliged  to  you." 

With  many  blessings  from  them,  and  an  urgent 
invitation  to  call  if  I  returned,  I  took  my  departure. 
When  about  twelve  miles  from  Grand  Junction,  I  was 
overtaken  by  a  squad  of  thirteen  rebel  cavalry,  includ- 
ing one  Sergeant,  under  command  of  a  Lieutenant. 


40  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

" How  are  you,  boys?"  said  I,  as  they  came  up. 

"Fine! 'said  the  Lieutenant.     "How  do  you  do?" 

"  I'm  getting  pretty  near  well,  I  thank  you." 

"Where  do  you  belong?"  he  inquired. 

"  To  the  13th  Tennessee  Infantry,  Col.  Vaughn's 
regiment." 

"  Ah — yes,  yes;  he's  all  right.  I  remember  of  see- 
ing him  in  Corinth  last  spring,"  said  the  Sergeant; 
"  I  have  a  cousin  in  the  same  regiment." 

"  Where  do  you  belong?"  I  inquired. 

"To  Jackson's  First  Battalion  of  Cavalry,"  an- 
swered the  Lieutenant.  "Where  are  you  gwine?" 

" I  am  gwine  down  to  my  regiment,"  said  I.  "I 
have  been  sick,  and  have  been  home  in  Osceola, 
Mississippi  County,  Arkansas,  and  I  am  gwine 
down  to  Salein  to  report  myself  to  the  nearest 
head-quarters.  I.  have  heard  that  there  is  some  of 
our  forces  there,  and  I  want  to  find  out  where  my 
regiment  is." 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  said  the  Lieutenant ;  "there 
is  none  of  our  forces  there.  And  besides,  it  is  not 
necessary  for  you  to  report  at  any  head-quarters.  Your 
regiment  is  at  Tupelo,  where  you  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  getting  to  it.  We  have  some  spare  horses 
here  ;  got  on  one  of  them  and  ride." 

I  mounted  one  of  the  horses  and  rode  along  with 
them.  I  learned,  from  conversation  with  them,  that 
their  regiment  was  stationed  at  Tupelo,  Miss.,  and 
that  they  were  detailed  to  traverse  the  country  and 
visit  all  the  planters,  and  tell  them  to  haul  their  cotton, 
corn,  and  bacon  to  a  place  known  as  the  Double 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  41 

Block-house,  where  it  would  be  guarded  to  prevent 
the  Yankees  from  stealing  it. 

We  only  went  about  a  mile  after  I  mounted  the 
horse  before  we  turned  to  the  right,  and  half  a 
mile  more  brought  us  to  the  double  log-house.  At 
that  place  three  regiments  of  infantry  were  camped 
and  their  principal  object  appeared  to  be  to  guard 
the  stuff  that  the  planters  were  hauling  in  for  pro- 
tection Several  thousand  bushels  of  corn  and  large 
quantities  of  bacon  had  already  been  hauled  there. 

We  dismounted  and  remained  in  the  camp  about 
an  hour.  While  there  the  Lieutenant  told  me  that 
I  had  better  not  be  in  a  hurry  about  going  to  Tupelo ; 
"  for,"  said  he,  "  the  times  are  rather  tough  for  a 
man  just  recovering  from  sickness,  and  the  rations 
are  not  such  as  a  sick  man  can  relish."  He  told 
ine  that  he  was  going  round  on  the  lower  Tupelo 
road  in  a  day  or  two,  and  that  I  had  better  run  with 
them  till  that  time,  and  he  would  put  me  on  a 
road  where  I  would  find  clever  people  and  plenty  to 
eat.  It  all  seemed  very  good  advice,  and  favorable 
to  rny  purpose,  and  so  I  accepted  it. 

The  balance  of  the  day  was  spent  in  visiting  every 
plantation  on  the  roads  to  the  west  and  north  of  the 
block- house,  and  when  we  halted  for  the  night  we 
were  within  three  miles  of  Davis'  Mills. 

There  I  was  like  to  have  a  little  difficulty  with 
the  Sergeant.  I  had  with  me  a  very  nice  navy  re- 
volver that  I  had  borrowed  of  Colonel  Force  pre- 
paratory to  starting  out.  The  Sergeant  discovered 
that  I  had  it,  and  was  going  to  take  it  away  from  me. 


42  THE   GREAT    AMERICAN 

i 

"  What  business  has  an  infantry  soldier  with  such 
a  revolver  as  that  ?  "  said  the  Sergeant.  "  Infantry 
soldiers  do  n't  need  them,  and  cavalry  soldiers  do. 
It  will  never  do  you  any  good  if  you  keep  it ;  so 
give  it  to  me." 

"Sergeant,"  said  I,  "you  are  superior  to  me  in 
rank,  and  if  you  insist  I  shall  have  to  obey  ;  but  if 
you  take  that  revolver  away  from  me  I'll  report  you 
to  Billy  Jackson !  I  will  indeed  !  " 

"  Sergeant,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  who  heard  our 
words,  "  if  Colonel  Vaughn  is  willing  that  his  men 
should  carry  such  things,  it  is  none  of  our  business. 
Let  the  soldier  keep  his  revolver !  " 

"  Thank  you,  Lieutenant,"  said  I.  "  I  prize  that 
revolver  very  highly.  I  bought  it  in  Memphis,  about 
the  time  the  war  commenced,  to  kill  the  infernal 
Yanks  with,  and  when  I  enlisted  Colonel  Vaughn 
told  me  that  I  might  carry  it,  and  I  mean  to  do  it." 

"  That's  right !  "  said  the  Lieutenant,  "  Turn  up 
as  many  of  the  Yankee  moccasins  with  it  as  you  can  ! 
Soldier,  what  road  did  you  come  in  on  this  morning  ?  " 

"  I  came  down  on  the  Somerville  road,  across  the 
Hickory  flats,  by  the  old  man  Pruett's,  and  then 
over  on  to  the  Salem  and  Grand  Junction  road." 

"  You  came  a  very  good  route,  indeed." 

"  I  am  aware  of  that,  I  replied.  "  I  know  this 
here  country  all  through  in  her3.  Lieutenant,  where 
did  you  boys  stay  last  ni^ht  ?  " 

"At  Davis'  Mills." 

"  Have  n't  we  got  a  cavalry  force  there  ?  " 

"  No.  There  was  only  us  fourteen  there  last  night." 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  43 

"  The  old  man  Pruett  told  me  yesterday  that  there 
was,  that  we  had  three  brigades  of  cavalry  at  the 
White  Church  on  Wolf  River." 

"  The  old  man  was  mistaken.  There  is  none  of 
our  forces  nearer  than  Tupelo,  except  the  three  regi- 
ments that  you  saw  to-day,  and  a  few  of  the  same 
company  that  I  belong  to,  that  are  scattered  about 
the  country  on  the  same  business  that  we  are  on." 

In  the  morning  our  operations  of  notifying  the  plan- 
ters was  renewed,  and  our  route  lay  along  the  bottoms 
of  Davis  Creek,  toward  its  headwaters.  About  noon 
we  very  unexpectedly  found  a  Yankee  forage  party. 

"There  is  some  of  the  Yanks  now!"  said  the  Lieu- 
tenant. 

"  Where  ?"  said  I. 

"  There,  up  on  the  top  of  the  hill  to  the  left,"  said 
he,  pointing  toward  them. 

I  looked,  and  sure  enough  there  they  were.  There 
was  about  thirty  of  the  Yankees,  and  eight  teams. 
They  had  halted  to  feed,  and  had  stacked  arms.  They 
did  not  see  us.  We  moved  along  a  little  further  to  a 
cow-path  that  led  to  the  right  up  a  ridge  of  ground 
parallel  to  the  one  occupied  by  the  Yankees.  The 
hollow  that  intervened  was  filled  with  a  growth  of 
bushes  extending  to  the  path  which  we  were  in, 
which  screened  us  from  view  and  enabled  us  to  ap- 
proach within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  Yankees 
without  being  seen. 

I  now  recognized  the  detachment  as  belonging  to 
my  own  regiment,  and  one  of  the  men  was  my  own 
bunk-mate f 


44  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

The  Lieutenant  told  us  to  be  quiet  and  not  to  speak 
a  word,  and  if  the  Yankees  ventured  away  from  their 
arms,  we  would  make  a  dash  upon  them  and  capture 
their  arms  and  mules,  and  bum  the  wagons.  Little 
did  they  mistrust  the  relation  that  I  bore  to  these 
Yankees.  I  determined,  if  a  dash  was  attempted,  to 
do  what  execution  I  could  upon  my  butternut  com- 
panions with  my  revolver,  hoping  to  dispose  of  four 
or  five  of  them  before  my  true  relation  was  discovered. 
It  was  a  moment  of  fearful  suspense  as  we  watched 
those  Federal  soldiers;  but  my  butternut  companions 
were  too  deeply  interested  in  the  watch  to  observe 
any  feelings  that  my  actions  might  have  betrayed. 

For  about  twenty  minutes  we  watched  them,  but 
they  did  not  move  away  from  their  arms.  The  Lieu- 
tenant, fearing  his  own  safety  might  be  endangered 
by  too  long  a  stay,  silently  withdrew  his  men,  and 
made  his  way  back  toward  Davis'  Mills  by  another 
route.  That  night  we  stayed  at  a  planter's  house, 
ten  miles  from  Grand  Junction. 

At  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  were  again 
on  the  move,  and  a  two  hours  ride  brought  us  to  four 
corners  in  the  road  somewhere  south- west  of  Lagrange, 
and  three  or  four  miles  distant  from  that  place.  There 
we  halted,  and  the  Lieutenant  told  me  that  one  of 
the  roads  was  the  one  that  I  needed  to  take  to  go  to 
Tupelo.  He  gave  me  the  names  of  several  planters 
that  lived  on  the  road,  and  advised  me  to  stop  two 
or  three  days  at  a  place  and  recruit  my  health  all  I 
could  on  the  way  to  my  regiment,  and  assured  me 
that  the  planters  he  had  named  were  clever  people, 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  45 

and  that  I  would  be  welcome  with  any  of  them.  I 
thanked  him  and  bade  him  a  good  morning,  and 
started  on  the  road  that  he  had  pointed  out,  not  car- 
ing whether  it  led  to  Tupelo  or  not,  if  I  could  get 
•away  from  him  and  his  squad. 

As  soon  as  the  cavalry  was  out  of  sight,  I  made  a 
detour  through  a  large  cotton-field  to  my  left,  and 
continued  on  until  I  came  into  a  road  that  I  supposed 
led  direct  to  Grand  Junction ;  while  in  company  with 
the  cavalry,  we  had  zigzagged  through  the  country 
so  much  that  I  had  become  somewhat  confused,  and 
I  was  not  sure  where  the  road  did  lead  to.  I  took  it, 
however,  and  moved  along  as  fast  as  possible,  that  I 
might  escape  the  squad  if  by  chance  they  should  be 
scattered  by  a  dash  of  our  cavalry,  and  some  of  them 
should  find  me  going  toward  Grand  Junction  instead 
of  Tupelo.  I  kept  a  sharp  look-out  as  I  moved 
along,  and  had  gone,  as  near  as  I  could  judge,  three 
miles,  when  I  was  very  unexpectedly  interrupted  in 
my  course  by  a  challenge  of  "  Halt !  halt !" 

I  was  considerably  alarmed,  for  I  supposed  that  I 
must  have  encountered  a  rebel  picket.  On  looking 
to  see  where  the  challenge  came  from,  I  found  that  it 
emanated  from  a  Federal  picket.  A  clump  of  bushes 
had  prevented  me  from  seeing  him  until  I  was  close 
on  to  him.  My  position  was  clear  enough  now.  I  had 
taken  a  road  to  Lagrange,  instead  of  Grand  Junction, 
and  had  encountered  General  Hurlbut's  pickets. 

"  Ha !  ha !  my  butternut  soldier !  "  exclaimed  the 
guard,  as  I  halted ;  "  you  got  caught  rather  unex- 
pectedly." 


46  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  I  reckon  I  did,"  I  replied.  , 

"  Where  do  you  belong  ?" 

"  To  the  13th  Tennessee." 

"You've  got  tired  soldiering  on  short  rations,  ^ 
suppose  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  I  a'n't  starved  yet." 

One  of  the  pickets  then  took  me  to  the  Captain  in 
command,  at  the  reserve.  There  I  was  subjected  to 
a  rigid  questioning  and  search,  but  I  was  determined 
to  carry  out  my  disguise  until  I  could  report  to  some 
commanding  officer.  My  revolver  and  money,  and 
other  articles,  were  taken  from  me  by  the  Captain, 
and  then  I  was  ordered  to  stand  up  by  a  tree  until 
further  orders.  I  remonstrated  with  the  Captain 
about  depriving  me  of  my  revolver  and  private  prop- 
erty, and  told  him  that  "  we  always  respected  a  pris- 
oner's right  to  his  side  arms  and  personal  effects. 
The  Captain  replied  that  I  might  be  glad  to  get  off 
so,  and  if  he  had  his  way  about  it,  he  would  shoot 
every  rebel  in  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

AVhile  standing  at  the  tree,  I  observed  a  plantation 
house  that  stood  within  less  than  a  hundred  yards  from 
me,  and  that  it  was  occupied.  My  early  start  and  the 
distance  I  had  traveled  gave  me  a  ravenous  appetite, 
so  I  asked  the  Captain  if  he  would  be  so  kind  as  to 
allow  me  to  go  to  the  house  and  get  some  breakfast. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "you  may  go;  but  if  you  under- 
take to  get  away,  I'll  have  you  shot !" 

"I  won't  run  away,"  I  replied;  "I  did  n't  come  in 
here  to  run  away.  I'll  come  right  back  as  soon  as 
I  get  my  breakfast." 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  47 

When  I  got  to  the  house,  I  met  the  man  of  the 
house  at  the  door.  lie  had  evidently  seen  ine  coming, 
and  my  uniform  attracted  his  attention. 

"  Good  morning !"  said  I,  as  he  came  out. 

"  Good  morning ;  won't  you  come  in  ?" 

"Yes,  I  don't  care  if  I  do;  and  I  should  like  right 
well  to  get  some  breakfast  here,  if  you  please,  for  I 
am  mighty  hungry." 

"Walk  in;  you  shall  have  all  the  breakfast  you 
want.  Where  do  you  belong?" 

"To  Col.  Vaughn's  regiment,  the  13th  Tennessee." 

"You  do?" 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  I  belong  to  Colonel  Strawl's  regiment,  the 
4th  Tennessee.  I  am  a  Brigade  surgeon  of  the  2nd 
Brigade,  which  includes  your  regiment;  my  name  is 
Biggs.  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"My  name  is  Rugglcs.  I  am  a  brother  to  General 
Ruggles-." 

"Is  it  possible !  I  know  the  General  very  well. 
What  are  you  doing  up  here  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  through  the  Yankee  lines  to-day,  if 
I  can." 

"  You  are  ?  A'n't  you  afraid  they  'ii  get  you?" 

"No;  I  expect  they  11  get  me  into  the  guard-house, 
but  I  '11  soon  manage  to  get  out." 

"  Well,  do  the  best  that  you  can.  If  they  do  get 
you  into  the  guard-house,  you  sh'an't  want  for  any- 
thing to  eat.  I'll  see  to  that  myself." 

Breakfast  was  announced  as  ready  for  me,  and  I 
sat  up  to  the  table.  They  had  got  me  fried  ham, 


48  THE    GEEAT    AMERICAN 

baked  sweet  potatoes,  warm  biscuit  with  butter  and 
honey,  and  coffee  with  sugar  and  cream.  I  think  the 
condition  of  my  appetite  enabled  me  to  do  that  meal 
ample  justice.  When  I  had  finished,  I  asked  the 
doctor  how  much  I  should  pay  him. 

"Oh,  Lord  !  not  a  cent !  Do  you  think  I  'd  charge 
one  of  our  soldiers  for  a  meal  of  victuals  !  I  feel 
thankful  that  I  have  it  to  give  you!"  Then  turning, 
and  pointing  toward  the  pickets,  he  said,  "But  them 
Yankee  thieves  down  there  I  make  pay  me  fifty  cents 
for  a  meal  of  nothing  but  bread  and  meat !" 

"You  've  got  them  rightly  named,  doctor,"  said  I; 
"for  they  took  my  revolver  and  my  money,  and  every 
thing  else  I  had,  away  from  me  this  morning." 

"  You  needn't  be  surprised  at  such  treatment  as 
that/'  said  he;  "for  there  are  officers  down  there  that 
would  steal  the  Lord's  supper,  and  men  that  Avould 
confiscate  the  table-cloths !  " 

"  You  are  about  right,  doctor ;  but  I  see  they  are 
looking  as  if  uneasy  about  me,  and  I  must  go  back." 

"Well,"  said  he,  "if  you  get  into  trouble,  I  '11  do 
all  I  can  for  you.  I  have  got  things  fixed  pret ty 
smooth  between  me  and  the  pickets,  and  I  think  I 
can  help  you  carry  out  your  plans." 

"  Havn't  you  taken  the  oath,  doctor  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  had  to  do  that  in  order  to  get  along 
smoothly." 

"  Well,  you  be  careful  and  not  get  yourself  into 
any  scrape  by  it.  I  would  a.dvise  you  to  say  nothing, 
and  if  I  get  into  the  guard-house,  you  see  that  I  get 
plenty  to_eat,  and  I  '11  wriggle  out  some  way." 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  49 

I  then  bid  him  good-bye,  and  returned  to  my  posi- 
tion by  the  tree.  When  the  new  pickets  came  out  to 
relieve  the  old  ones,  two  of  the  old  guards  took  me 
in  to  the  Provost-marshal.  As  I  entered  his  office, 
I  was  saluted  by,  "Well,  old  hoss,  who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  an  Arkansas  school-master,"  I  replied. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?" 

"  I  want  to  see  General  Hurlbut." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  General  Hurlbut  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  see  him.  I  've  heard  that  he  's  a  very 
red-faced  man,  and  I  want  to  see  for  myself  how  he 
looks!" 

"Yes,  you  want  to  see  him!  You'll  go  to  the 
guard-house ! " 

"No,  I  won't!" 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  You  give  me  those  two  guards  and  send  me  to 
General  Hurlbut,  and  find  out  who  I  am  !  " 

"Guards,"  said  he,  "take  him  off;  take  him  down 
to  General  Hurlbut's. 

The  guards  took  me  to  the  General's  quarters,  and 
one  of  them  went  in  and  told  the  General  that  they 
had  got  a  fellow  that  they  had  captured  at  the  picket- 
line,  and  that  he  was  dressed  like  a  rebel  soldier,  and 
that  the  Provost-marshal  could  not  find  out  who  he 
was,  and  had  sent  him  there.  The  General  came  out 
of  the  tent,  and  seeing  who  it  was,  said : 

"Ah,  yes !  I  know  him !  Guards  you  can  go  to 
your  quarters." 

"Hold  on,  General,  "  said  I;  "the  Captain  that  had 
command  of  those  guards  took  a  revolver  away  from 
4 


50  THE   GREAT  AMERICAN 

me  that  belongs  to  General  Force,  and  took  my  pocket- 
book,  and  every  thing  else  I  had  in  my  pockets." 

"What  kind  of  thieving  and  robbing  will  take 
place  next!  Guards,  go  and  tell  that  Captain  to 
inarch  his  men  up  here  !  " 

In  a  few  minutes,  the  Captain  marched  his  men 
into  the  yard  and  formed  them  in  a  line;  when  that 
was  done,  "  Captain,"  said  the  General,  "  Give  that 
man  the  things  that  you  robbed  him  of !  " 

The  Captain  handed  out  the  articles,  one  after  an- 
other, and  last  of  all  he  handed  me  an  old  fine-tooth 
comb!  That  was  too  much  for  the  equanimity  of  the 
officers  and  men  that  were  looking  on,  and  they  burst 
into  a  roar  of  laughter.  The  poor  Captain  looked  as 
if  he  would  sink  into  the  earth.  "That  will  do," 
said  the  General,  when  he  had  handed  me  all;  "you 
can  dismiss  your  men." 

I  told  General  Hurlbut  the  result  of  my  trip,  and 
he  complimented  me  very  highly  upon  my  success, 
and  then  gave  me  a  pass  to  Grand  Junction. 

The  pass  saved  me  any  further  annoyance  by  the 
Federal  pickets,  and  Dr.  Biggs  from  the  trouble  of 
visiting  the  guard-house  with  "commissary  supplies." 

I  reported  my  trip  to  General  Leggett,  and,  for 
some  reason,  the  brigade  did  not  vacate  the  place  for 
more  than  two  weeks  after. 


rt 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  51 


CHAPTER  V. 

Fired  at  by  a  citizen  —  The  sick  overseer  —  How  lie  was  cured — Pickets 
fired  on  —Trip  to  a  White  Church —Visits  General  Van  Dorn— Meets 
a  rebel  spy — Keports  to  General  Leggett  —  Grand  Junction  evacuated 
— Again  sees  the  rebel  spy — Attempts  to  arrest  him  — Drinks  wine  with 
the  rebel  General  Jackson  —  Discovert  hole  in  the  fence. 

IT  was  my  duty,  while  the  brigade  remained  at 
Grand  Junction,  to  watch  for  any  demonstrations  of 
General  Van  Dorn's,  Wheeler's,  or  Jackson's  cavalry. 
For  that  purpose  I  used  to  ride  out  on  the  road  run- 
ning east  and  west,  that  lay  three  miles  to  the  south 
of  Grand  Junction.  I  used  to  scout  that  road  for 
ab'out  ten  miles  regularly  every  day.  One  morning, 
before  going  out,  I  called  upon  Captain  Jacobs,  Pro- 
vost-marshal of  the  post,  on  business.  While  I  was 
there,  an  overseer  that  I  had  frequently  seen  in  my 
scouts  came  in,  and  requested  a  renewal  of  his  pass, 
and  a  permit  to  carry  out  certain  articles  that  he 
wished  to  purchase.  He  had  with  him  the  oath  of 
allegiance.  As  soon  as  my  business  was  completed,  I 
started  out  on  my  scout,  as  usual,  leaving  the  overseer 
there.  I  made  the  trip  out,  and  had  returned  to  within 
a  few  yards  of  the  overseer's  house,  when  he  stepped 
out  from  a  fence-corner,  with  a  squirrel-rifle  in  his 
hands,  and  said  to  me,  "Are  you  a  Yankee  soldier  ?  " 


52  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

"No,  sir,  I  'm  not  a  Yankee  soldier,  I'm  a  Federal 
soldier." 

"  What  are  you  doing  out  here  ?  " 

"  I  'm  watching  for  rebel  cavalry." 

"I'll  soon  stop  your  watching  Confederate  cavalry." 

"Are  you  going  to  shoot  me  ?  " 

He  said  nothing,  but  the  click  of  his  gun,  as  he 
cocked  it,  said  "  Yes."  As  he  was  bringing  it  to  his 
face,  I  put  the  spurs  to  my  horse,  and  as  I  passed, 
he  fired,  but  missed  me.  I  went  in  and  reported  to 
General  Leggett,  who  replied,  "  You  had  better  look 
out,  or  some  of  those  good  Union  men  will  kill  you" 
He  issued  no  order  to  have  the  man  arrested ;  and 
perhaps  it  would  have  done  no  good  if  he  had,  for 
such  characters,  with  their  oily  tongues,  areas  slippery 
as  eels.  As  a  general  thing,  they  manage  to  evade 
justice,  and  get  released  from  the  Federal  authorities. 
I  well  knew  that  if  the  overseer  was  allowed  to  live 
undisturbed,  my  own  life  was  in  jeopardy,  so  I  tele- 
graphed to  General  Grant,  then  at  Jackson,  Tennessee, 
to  know  what  to  do  with  such  a  man.  His  reply  was, 
"  If  you  are  a  scout  for  the  Government,  you  ought 
to  know  yourself" 

•  That  night  I  went  to  the  20th  Ohio  Infantry  and 
got  two  Sergeants  to  assist  me  in  bringing  the  over- 
seer to  j  ustice,  whose  real  names  I  shall  not  give,  but 
designate  them  as  the  "big  Sergeant"  and  the  "little 
Sergeant."  Knowing  that  if  we  accomplished  our 
purpose  there  would  be  complaints  entered  at  head- 
quarters  the  next  day,  I  resolved  to  proceed  as  noise- 
lessly about  it  as  possible.  Instead  of  getting  the 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  53 

countersign,  and  thus  letting  it  "be  known  that  we 
were  going  out,  we  stole  through  the  picket  line,  and 
nohody  knew  that  we  had  left  camp. 

It  was  ahout  four  miles  to  the  overseer's  house ; 
thither  we  proceeded.  When  wre  came  to  his  yard, 
myself  and  the  little  Sergeant  went  at  once  to  the 
house,  and  the  big  Sergeant  went  to  the  negro  quar- 
ters. The  overseer  and  his  family  had  retired  for 
the  night.  Our  rap  for  admittance  was  answered 
by  "Who  is  there?  "  My  reply  was,  "Federal  soldiers; 
get  up  and  open  the  door^  The  summons  was 
obeyed  by  the  overseer's  wife.  As  we  entered  we 
heard  the  groans  of  a  man  as  if  in  distress,  proceeding 
from  an  adjoining  room.  On  going  into  the  room,  I 
found  the  overseer  in  bed,  and  feigning  to  be  labor- 
ing under  severe  pain.  Approaching  the  bed-side, 
I  said  to  him :  "  You.  are  sick,  are  you,  old  hoss  ?" 

With  great  difficulty,  seemingly,  he  answered, 
"Yes — I'm — very  sick." 

"How  long  have  you  been  sick?" 

"It's  — going  on — two  weeks — now." 

"You  lying  whelp,"  said  the  little  Sergeant,  unable 
to  contain  himself;  "I  saw  you  in  Grand  Junction 
this  morning." 

"  Get  up,  old  fellow,"  said  I,  "  you  need  a  little 
exercise ;  it  will  do  you  good  to  move  about." 

"  I  can't — gentlemen, — I  tell  you — I'm  sick,"  (still 
groaning,  and  letting  on  to  be  in  great  distress.) 

"  Yes,  that  wolfish-looking  face  of  yours  looks  sick! 
Get  out  of  that !"  He  commenced  to  rise,  trembling 
p.ll  over  as  if  with  nervous  fear.  "  Your  nerves  a'n't 


54  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

so  steady  as  they  were  this  morning,"  I  added. 

"  Indeed— I  am — sick— gentlemen." 

"  I  should  think  your  conscience  would  make  you 
tremble." 

«  Are  you — gwine  to — kill  me  ?  "  he  asked,  getting 
more  and  more  agitated  with  alarm. 

"  No,  we  won't  kill  you,  but  we'll  give  you  a  fur- 
lough to  a  warmer  climate.  I  think  it  will  improve 
your  health?" 

"  You  will  give — a  body — time — to  pray — won't 
you?"  ^ 

"  Praying  won't  do  you  any  good  ;  you  will  go  to 
the  warm  climate,  anyhow,  so,  hurry  on  them  clothes 
and  come  along  with  us."  We  then  walked  him  out 
of  the  house ;  we  found  that  he  could  travel  as  strong 
as  we  could. 

As  we  passed  out  into  the  yard,  we  met  the  big 
Sergeant,  accompanied  by  a  negro  who  had  an  iron 
collar  on  his  neck,  with  a  chain  fastened  to  it,  with 
the  other  end  fastened  around  his  waist. 

"Here,  Bunker,"  said  the  Sergeant,  "  see  what  I 
have  found." 

"  That  chain  is  just  exactly  what  I  want.  Bring 
your  negro  around  here,"  said  I,  as  I  led  my  pris- 
oner around  to  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  out  to  the 
stable.  There  we  found  two  crotches  standing  up- 
right, and  a  pole  laid  from  one  to  the  other.  A  large 
box  was  rolled  out  from  the  stable  and  placed  under 
the  pole,  and  the  overseer  made  to  get  on  the  box. 
The  negro  had  been  sent  to  the  rebel  fortifications  to 
work,  and  had  run  away.  The  overseer  had  captured 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  55 

him,  and  had  punishsd  him  by  putting  him  in  irons, 
as  described.  In.  the  morning  he  would  chain  him 
to  the  plow,  and  at  night  release  him  and  make  the 
chain  fast  around  his  body.  On  searching  the  pockets 
of  the  overseer,  I  found  the  key  that  unlocked  the 
chain.  I  then  unlocked  the  chain  from  the  negro, 
and  placed  it  upon  the  overseer's  neck,  and  made  the 
other  end  fast  to  the  pole  overhead  ;  and  having 
fastened  the  overseer's  hands  behind  him,  I  said  to 
the  negro,  "This  man  has  been  your  overseer  for  a 
long  time  —  you  may  chanAabout  now,  and  be  his 
overseer  awhile." 

"  Lor'  bress  you,  massa !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Thank 
de  Lord  furdat;  he's  dun  druv  dis  nigga  long  enuf." 

"  Well,  you  drive  him  now." 

"  Shall  I  drive  him  thar  ?  " 

"  Yes,  drive  him  where  you  please." 

"  I  reckon  he  won't  do  dat  box  no  good  standin' 
there,"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  jerked 
the  box  from  uwder  him,  leaving  him  suspended  by 
the  neck;  adding,  "Now,  I  specs  he'll  drive  hisself. 
I  'se  more  important  business  to  'tend  to." 

The  overseer  being  in  a  fair  way  to  have  his  "fur- 
lough approved,"  we  returned  to  camp  by  the  samo 
way  that  we  went  OUT.  The  next  morning,  early, 
the  wife  came  in  with  a  complaint  to  the  Provost- 
marshal  that  a  party  of  Federal  soldiers  had  been  to 
her  house  the  night  before,  and  had  taken  her  sick 
husband  out  of  bed  and  had  hung  him,  and  begged 
for  protection  from  further  outrage. 

The  Provost-marshal  said  to  her,  "  I  do  n't  believe 


5G  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

a  word  of  it ;  for  no  soldiers  have  been  permitted  to 
go  through  our  lines  during  the  night.  Perhaps  you 
had  a  husband  and  perhaps  not.  I  advise  you  to  go 
back  about  your  business  and  not  be  in  here  blaming 
Federal  soldiers  with  that  which  they  have  never 
done." 

During  the  day  a  forage  party,  on  its  return  to 
camp,  visited  the  plantation  and  brought  away  sixty 
contrabands,  and  among  them  was  the  one  that  we 
had  liberated  from  his  chains.  The  overseer  was 
dead,  but  had  been  taMfci  down  and  carried  into  the 
house.  On  his  arrival  rn  camp,  the  negro  reported 
that  the  Yankees  had  made  him  hang  his  master. 
Outside  of  the  lines  it  was  generally  believed  that 
the  Yankees  had  done  it,  but  the  soldiers  generally 
believed  that  the  negroes  on  the  plantation  had  done 
it.  It  was  never  suspected  that  I  had  had  a  hand  in  it, 
"  My  personal  safety  as  a  scout  demanded  that  he 
should  be  disposed  of,"  is  all  the  excuse  that  I  have 
to  offer.  I  continued  to  scout  the  road  for  several 
days  after,  but  met  with  no  further  interruption. 

Early  in  the  month  of  July,  the  first  train  of  cars 
that  was  to  run  through  'from  Memphis  to  Grand 
Junction  started  out,  and,  when  only  a  short  distance 
from  Memphis,  was  captured,  and  the  railroad  badly 
destroyed.  Sergeant  Wilson  and  the  Colonel  of  the 
oCth  Ohio  escaped,  but  were  pursued  by  blood-hounds 
and  recaptured. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  protecting  the  road  from 
the  raids  of  the  enemy,  the  opening  of  it  was  aban- 
doned for  a  time,  and  the  roads  from  Columbus,  Ky., 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  57' 

to  Grand  Junction  and  Corinth  were  relied  upon  for 
the  transportation  of  supplies.  When  the  opening 
of  the  road  was  abandoned,  the  forces  at  Lagrange, 
under  command  of  General  Hurlbut,  moved  to  Mem- 
phis, which  left  the  small  brigade  at  Grand  Junction 
without  any  troops  for  support  nearer  than  Bolivar, 
a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  The  exposed  position 
of  so  small  a  force  undoubtedly  emboldened  the 
enemy  in  their  plans  for  capturing  the  post.  As  I 
have  explained  in  the  proceeding  chapter,  the  abun- 
dance of  cotton  and  forage  ^^s  an  object  to  hold  the 
place  as  long  as  the  safety  of  the  force  would  admit. 

After  General  Hurlbut' s  forces  left  Lagrange,  our 
pickets  were  frequently  fired  upon,  and  small  squads 
of  cavalry  were  seen,. indicating  a  boldness  on  the 
part  of  the  enemy  indicative  of  a  strong  force  not 
far  off. 

It  was  under  that  state  of  affairs  that  General 
Leggett  requested  me  to  go  out  as  a  spy,  and  learn 
the  position  and  force  of  the  enemy. 

On  this  occasion  I  rode  out  on  a  mule,  disguised  as 
a  rebel  soldier,  taking  the  road  that  led  to  the  White 
Church.  Soon  after  passing  our  own  pickets,  I  saw 
several  squads  of  rebel  cavalry,  but  at  some  distance 
from  me,  but  none  of  them  interrupted  me.  Just 
after  I  had  crossed  Wolf  River,  I  discovered  the 
rebel  pickets;  how  I  was  to  pass  them  was  more 
than  I  knew..  I  resolved,  however,  to  go  on  and  try 
the  effect  of  a  bold  front.  With  as  much  unconcern 
and  freedom  as  though  I  was  one  of  their  number, 
and  perfectly  at  home,  I  rode  up,  and  without  halt- 


58  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

ing  or  showing  that  I  expected  to  be  halted,  I  said, 
"Good  morning,  boys !  have  our  forces  all  got  up  yet?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  one ;  "  where  have  you  been  ?" 

"  Out  to  the  Yankee  lines  by  the  old  cotton- 
gin  near  Grand  Junction,"  I  replied,  still  riding 
along. 

By  this  time  I  had  got  clear  by,  without  any  at- 
tempt being  made  to  stop  me.  At  the  White  Church 
I  came  to  the  rebel  camp  ;  there  I  dismounted  and 
inquired  of  a  soldier  for  head-quarters. 

"  Whose — "  Genera^^Tan  Dorn's  ?  "  was  asked. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied. 

He  then  showed  me  to  General  Van  Dorn's  tent.  I 
had  supposed  that  if  I  found  much  of  a  force  it  would 
be  that  of  General  Van  Dorn.  I  proceeded  to  the 
tent  that  had  been  pointed  out.  In  front  of  it  was 
the  usual  head-quarters  guard.  Saluting  him,  I  in- 
quired if  General  Van  Dorn  was  in,  and  was  an- 
swered in  the  affirmative.  The  moment  I  enteied, 
I  saw  two  Generals.  One  I  instantly  recognized  as 
the  Confederate  General  Wheeler ;  I  had  known  him 
in  Memphis  before  the  war.  Without  speaking  to 
him,  I  turned  to  the  other  and  addressed  him ;  I 
said,  "  General,  I  wish  to  get  a  pass,  if  you  please, 
to  go  outside  of  the  lines." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  the  General  inquired. 

"  My  name  is  Ruggles." 

"  General  Van  Dorn,"  said  General  Wheeler,  "dont 
you  know  him  ?  He  is  a  brother  of  General  Rug- 
gles, and  belongs  to  the  2d  Arkansas  Cavalry." 

"Ah!  Indeed!" 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  59 

"  Yes,  and  I  want  to  go  out  to  the  Yankee  lines 
and  see  what  they  are  doing  out  there." 

"  I  wish  you  would,  Ruggles,"  said  Van  Dorn, 
"  and  see  if  the  Yankees  have  obstructed  the  Grand 
Junction  and  Salem  road  with  timber.  That's  the 
road  that  I  want  to  take  a  part  of  my  forces  on  in 
the  morning." 

General  Van  Dorn  instructed  his  Adjutant  to  write 
me  a  pass,  which  I  received,  and  then  went  out  and 
mounted  my  mule.  "That's  the  road  I  want  to  take 
a  part  of  my  forces  on  in  thmnorning!  "  was  some- 
thing that  needed  my  immediate  attention.  I  rode 
leisurely  through  the  camp.  Every  thing  was  bustle 
and  activity  preparatory  to  a  move,  and  confirmed 
what  I  had  heard  at  head-quarters.  As  near  as  I  could 
judge,  the  camp  contained  9,000  or  10,000  men. 

Having  satisfied  myself  of  the  probable  force  of 
the  enemy,  I  started  back  on  the  road  I  came  in  on. 
I  stopped  at  the  pickets  and  showed  my  pass,  and 
then  went  on.  After  I  had  crossed  Wolf  River,  I 
made  a  detour  across  the  country  to  the  right,  in  order 
to  p;et  on  to  the  Grand  Junction  and  Salem  road,  as 
General  Van  Dorn  had  directed  me,  so  that  if  by  any 
mishap  I  should  be  captured  and  sent  to  head-quar- 
ters, I  could  show  that  I  was  captured  right  were  I 
had  been  sent. 

About  five  miles  from  the  White  Church,  I  dis- 
mounted at  a  large  beautiful  spring  of  water,  to 
drink  and  rest  myself.  While  there,  a  cavalryman 
rode  up  and  halted  for  the  same  purpose;  I  immedi- 
ately recognized  him  as  having  been  one  of  the  squad 


60  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

I  had  fallen  in  with  and  accompanied  so  far  in  my 
former  trip.  He  rode  a  Texan  pony,  with  a  peculiarly 
constructed  saddle,  that  I  could  not  mistake  as  hav- 
ing seen  hefore. 

"Where  have  you  been  ?  "  I  inquired,  as  he  stopped. 

"  I  've  been  up  to  the  Yankee  lines." 

"  You  must  be  a  scout,  then." 

"  Yes,  I  am  a  spy ;  where  do  you  belong  ?  " 

"  I  belong  to  the  Yankees!  "  I  replied,  placing  my 
hand  on  my  revolver,  as  if  to  draw  it. 

My  movements  agit^ed  him.  Raising  his  hands 
in  a  supplicating  attidude,  as  if  he  thought  I  meant 
to  kill  him,  he  said,  "D  —  do'nt  shoot!  hold  —  hold 
on !  do  n't  lets  you  and  I  quarrel ;  let  us  help  each 
other,  since  we  are  both  in  the  same  business." 

"  Very  well !  just  as  you  say  about  that." 

"  You  played  off  the  spy  pretty  well  the  other  day 
when  you  was  with  us,"  he  continued,  somewhat 
composed. 

"  Yes,  I  did  well  enough  for  that  time ;  but  I  am 
in  a  hurry  this  time,  so  you  and  I  must  make  short 
visits." 

At  that,  we  both  mounted  and  started  in  opposite 
directions,  eyeing  each  other,  with  revolvers  drawn, 
until  out  of  sight.  I  might  have  shot  him  at  the  time 
ne  thought  I  intended  to  do  it,  but  I  did  not  think  my 
own  safety  would  admit  of  it. 

At  5  o'clock  that  afternoon  I  arrived  at  General 
Leggatt's  head-quarters,  and  reported  what  I  had 
learned,  and  before  daylight  the  next  morning  the 
brigade  was  on  its  way  to  Bolovar,  and  it  had  not 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  61 

been  gone  an  hour  until  General  Van  Dorivs  forces 
were  in  possession  of  the  place. 

Shortly  after  our  arrival  at  Bolivar,  I  was  in  town, 
accompanied  by  Sergeant  Wonders,  of  the  20th  Ohio. 
Hitched  in  front  of  one  of  the  stores  was  the  same 
little  Texan  pony  and  peculiar  saddle  that  I  had  seen 
twice  before.  I  knew  that  I  could  not  be  mistaken 
in  them.  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  his  running  at 
large.  An  encounter  with  him  in  the  enemy's  camp 
would  prove  fatal,  so  I  resolved  to  find  him  and  have 
him  arrested.  After  searching  for  some  time,  without 
success,  I  returned  to  where  I  had  seen  the  pony,  and 
found  that  it  was  gone.  From  a  soldier  I  learned 
that  somebody  had  ridden  the  pony  out  toward  the 
depot.  I  followed  after,  and  when  about  half  way 
to  the  depot,  I  saw  the  pony  coming.  I  sent  the  Ser- 
geant back  and  told  him  to  see  where  the  man  went, 
and  I  would  join  him  after  awhile.  Just  before  we 
met,  he  halted  and  commenced  to  fasten  his  pony. 
Stepping  up  to  him  and  speaking  very  low,  I  said, 
"  Hallo,  old  fellow  !  are  you  in  here  ?  ' 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Never  mind,  you  need  n't  be  afraid.  It 's  all 
right,"  I  added  in  a  confidential  way,  "you  need  not 
be  afraid  of  me;  I  am  in  a  great  hurry  this  morning, 
so  you  must  excuse  me."  Without  further  word.-j  I 
walked  on  rapidly,  as  though  I  cared  nothing  about 
him.  As  soon  as  oat  of  sight,  I  made  my  way  around 
to  the  office  of  the  Provost-marshal.  There  I  was  joined 
by  the  Sergeant,  who  remained  outside  to  watch. 

On  entering  his  office,  I  found  him  asleep  on  a  cot. 


62  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

I  woke  him  up  and  told  him  the  circumstances  aoout 
the  spy,  and  that  I  wanted  some  guards  to  capture 
him.  By  the  time  I  had  finished  telling  him,  he  was 
fast  asleep.  I  again  woke  him  up,  and  commenced 
to  tell  what  I  wanted,  when  he  said  : 

«  DO — you — know — the — man?  " 

"Yes!  I  know  the  man!" 

"  Do — you — know — the — ho.*s  ?  " 

'•Yes!  I  know  the  horse  and  I  know  the  saddle." 

"  W-a-1— a-1-1— r-i-g-h-t !  " 

By  this  time  he  w*;  again  fast  asleep.  I  tried 
again  to  wake  him,  hut  with  no  better  success.  I  do 
not  say  that  he  was  drunk,  but  I  do  say  that  he  acted 
just  as  our  Orderly  Sergeant  does  when  he  is  drunk. 
The  result  was,  the  spy  escaped,  and  I  have  never 
seen  him  since. 

As  we  were  passing  along  by  Adams  &  Brother's 
store,  a  few  hours  after,  the  door  chanced  to  be  open, 
and  we  observed  that  the  room  was  occupied  by  many 
citizens,  engaged  in  a  spirited  conversation,  and  so 
we  dropped  in  to  see  what  was  going  on.  One  of 
the  persons  present  I  knew  to  be  Brigadier-General 
Neely,  of  the  Confederate  army,  who  had  been  cap- 
tured by  the  Federal  troops  when  they  first  took  pos- 
session of  the  place,  and  he  was  on  parole  of  honor 
within  the  limits  of  the  town. 

When  we  first  entered,  the  conversation  stopped, 
but  it  was  soon  gradually  resumed.  A  great  deal 

was  said  about  the  Yankees  stealing  corn,  cotton, 

§ 

and  niggers,  and  they  complained  that  it  was  ruin- 
ing many  of  the  planters.  I  listened  a  few  minutes, 


SCOUT    A.XI)    SPY.  G3 

and  then  addressing  my  sell'  to  General  Neely,  said  : 
"  Gentlemen,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  have  never 
yet  stolen  a  cent's  worth  of  property  since  I  have 
been  in  the  Federal  army,  and  if  I  had  known  that 
a  United  States  soldier  had  got  to  steal  corn,  cotton, 
and  niggers  from  the  citizens  of  the  South,  I  would 
never  have  enlisted." 

"  Nor  I  either/'  said  the  Sergeant,  "  I  did'nt 
think  when  I  enlisted  that  this  was  going  to  he 
made  a  nigger  war !  " 

'•  For  my  part,"  I  continued,  "  I'm  getting  tired 
of  fighting  for  niggers,  and  if  I  wasn't  afraid  they 
would  hang  me  for  a  spy,  I'd  go  and  join  Billy 
Jackson's  cavalry." 

"  And  so  would  I,"  said  the  Sergeant ;  "  I  think 
I'd  like  the  Southern  people  very  much.  I  have 
often  heard  "  Bunker  "  talk  about  them  ;  he  used 
to  live  in  the  South." 

"  Yes,  I  did,  indeed !  and  I'm  almost  ashamed 
to  be  fighting  against  them.  I  used  to  live  in  Miss- 
issippi, and  I  have  spent  several  years  in  Arkansas 
and  Tennessee.  I  am  well  acquainted  in  Memphis. 
General,  do  you  know  Jim  Ford  and  Charlie  Ford,  of 
Memphis  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  them  very  well ;  they  are  whole- 
sale dealers  in  produce.  I  get  my  supply  of  pork 
from  them  every  year." 

He  then  motioned  to  me  and  the  Sergeant  and 
one  of  the  citizens  in  the  room,  wh'o  had  been  listen- 
ing with  a  good  deal  of  interest  to  our  conversation, 
to  accompany  him  into  a  back  room,  which  we  did. 


64  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

He  then  called  for  two  bottles  of  wine,  and  asked 
us  to  drink  with  him,  which  we  were  not  in  the 
least  backward  about  doing. 

The  citizen  then  said  that  he  had  not  time  to  stay 
longer,  and,  shaking  hands  with  us,  bade  us  good-by 
and  Avent  out. 

"General,"  said  I,  when  the  citizen  had  gone 
•'  do  you  know  where  Billy  Jackson  is  ?  " 

"  Yes  !  He's  not  far  off;  if  you  want  to  join  his 
cavalry  you  would  have  no  trouble  in  getting  to  him." 

"  If  I  wa'n't  afraid  General  Jackson  would  get  me 
and  hang  me  for  a  spy,  I'd  run  away,  and  so  would 
this  Sergeant,  and  we'd  join  his  cavalry." 

"There  is  no  danger  of  that,"  said  the  General, 
for  that  was  GencralJackson  that  drank  the  wine  ivitli 
w.s,  and  has  just  left.  He  heard  all  you  said  about 
joining  his  cavalry.  If  you  want  to  go,  boys,  you 
will  have  no  trouble  in  doing  so." 

"  Well,  General,"  said  I,  "  since  you  are  acquainted 
with  General  Jackson,  can't  you  give  us  a  pass  that 
will  make  us  all  safe  after  we  get  out  of  the  Yankee 
lines?" 

':  I'm  on  parole  of  honor,"  he  replied,  "  and  I  have 
no  right  to  do  that." 

"  There  would  be  no  harm  in  it ;  the  YTankee,s 
would  never  find  it  out."  Pulling  out  my  wallet,  I 
said,  "General,  how  much  did  you  pay  for  that 
wine  ?  We  must  have  another  bottle — not  at  your 
expense,  but  mine.  It's  my  treat  this  time. 

"Oh,  no!  no,  no!"  said  the  General,  "I'll  par 
for  the  wins !  Mr.  Adams,  bring  us  another  bottle. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  05 

Boys,  you  come  over  to-morrow  and  I  '11  have  your 
passes  fixed  out  for  you !  " 

I  assured  him  that  we  would,  and,  having  drank 
the  wine,  we  left  and  returned  to  camp,  considerably 
elated  with  our  adventure. 

Unfortunately,  Billy  Jackson  and  the  spy  both  got 
away.  The  only  good  that  I  could  then  do  was  to 
find  the  "hole  in  the  fence"  where  they  had  gone  out, 
and  prevent  a  repetition  of  it. 

I  knew  that  Mrs.  Dr.  Coleman  was  a  daughter  of 
General  Neely,  and  I  thought  that  she,  probably, 
knew  where  Jackson  and  his  spy  went  out  through 
our  lines.  I  had  been  there  a  number  of  times,  and 
had  become  considerably  acquainted,  and  Mrs.  Cole- 
man  had  not  yet  found  out,  that  I  belonged  to  the 
Federal  army.  Doctor  Coleman  was  a  practising 
physician,  and  was  absent  from  home  the  most  of 
the  time,  visiting  his  patients. 

The  next  morning  I  went  over  to  see  her.  After 
we  had  conversed  awhile,  I  said  to  her,  "  Melia,  did 
you  see  Billy  Jackson  in  town  yesterday?  " 

"Yes,  did  you?" 

"Yes,  I  saw  him,  but  I  was  wondering  how  in  the 
world  he  managed  to  get  out;  the  Yankees  are  getting 
mighty  particular  who  they  pass  out." 

"  Why,  I  can  tell  you ;  he  went  right  through  our 
corn-field,  and  out  at  the  water-gulch  underthe fence." 

"  Yes,  yes;  I  do  remember  that  place  now;  that 's 
a  good  place  to  go  out.  By  the  way,  how  does  the 
doctor  like  the  Yankees  being  so  strict?  " 

"He  don't  like  it  at  all;  he  had  to  go  and  take 


66  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

the  oath  before  they  would  give  him  a  pass  to  visit 
his  patients." 

"Did  he?" 

"  Yes;  and  I  never  felt  so  bad  about  any  thing  in 
my  life  as  I  did  about  that.  The  nasty,  dirty  thieves! 
I  perfectly  hate  the  sight  of  them.  I  assure  you  tho 
Doctor  don't  consider  himself  bound  byit;  no,  indeed!" 

She  was  very  indignant  to  think  that  her  husband 
had  been  compelled  to  ta-ke  the  oath.  From  there 
I  went  to  see  her  father,  General  Neely,  who  gave 
me  the  pass  that  he  had  promised  me  the  day  before. 
Thus  prepared,  I  went  to  head-quarters  and  reported. 

That  day  Doctor  Coleman's  corn  was  all  cut  down, 
so  that  the  pickets  had  a  fair  view  of  the  ground, 
without  changing  the  line,  and  General  Neely  was 
sent  North  for  a  violation  of  his  parole. 


I 
fix 


ll 


SCOUT   AND   SPY,  67 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  value  of  the  Oath— Attempt  to  take  "Bunker's"  life— Sent  to 
Grand  Junction — The  hazardous  ride — The  Countersign — The  Chase — 
Unfortunate  occurrence — The  chase  abandoned — Meets  with  guerril- 
las— They  invite  him  to  drink — Renewed  vigilance — The  battle  of 
Middleburg. 

The  troops  stationed  at  Bolivar,  Tennessee,  at  the 
time  of  the  evacuation  of  Grand  Junction,  were 
under  the  command  of  Brigadier-General  L.  F.  Ross, 
and  my  next  labors  in  the  secret  service  of  the 
United  States  was  under  his  orders  and  instructions. 
I  made  frequent  expeditions  from  Bolivar,  but  many 
of  them  were  so  similar  in  their  events  that  I  shall 
not  undertake  to  give  a  narrative  of  all  of  them. 
Those  expeditions  elicited  the  fact,  however,  that 
nearly  all  of  the  citizens  of  that  part  of  Tennessee, 
in  the  face  of  the  military  occupation  of  the  country, 
professed  loyalty  to  the  Federal  Government,  and  to 
give  their  pretensions  the  color  of  reality,  and  secure 
the  privileges  to  be  obtained  from  the  military  au- 
thorities, had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

Every  trip  that  I  made  in  the  disguise  of  a  Con- 
federate soldier,  revealed  to  me  Confederate  wolves 
clad  in  Union  garments  On  one  occasion,  I  had 
been  sent  for,  and  was  in  the  act  of  receiving  my 


68  TEE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

instructions  from  the  Adjutant  in  regard  to  a  trip 
that  I  was  required  to  make,  where  an  old  gray- 
headed  citizen  was  sitting,  who  had  called  in  to  pro- 
cure some  military  favor.  The  Adjutant,  not  suppos- 
ing what  he  had  to  communicate  to  me  would  give 
the  citizen  any  clue  to  the  plans  I  was  about  to  carry 
out,  gave  his  instructions  in  his  presence.  I  observed 
that  he  paid  more  than  usual  attention  to  what  was 
said,  'and,  from  the  expression  of  his  countenance,  I 
suspected  that  he  comprehended  the  move  that  I  was 
about  to  make.  I  became  so  impressed  with  the  idea 
that  the  old  man  meant  me  evil,  that  after  I  had  left 
and  he  had  taken  his  departure,  I  went  back  and  ob- 
tained permission  to  take  a  squad  of  men  with  me. 

I  made  the  trip  in  the  night.  My  route  was  on  a 
road  that  passed  the  old  man's  house.  I  came  upon 
two  men  by  the  roadside,  evidently  watching  for 
somebody  to  pass.  As  soon  as  they  discovered  that 
a  squad  of  men,  instead  of  a  single  man,  was  ap- 
proaching, they  fled  without  waiting  for  me  to  come 
up.  Had  the  old  man  succeeded,  it  would  have 
been  my  last  scout.  I  ascertained  from  the  colored 
people  on  the  place  that  the  two  men  were  the  old 
man  and  his  son,  and  that  they  were  watching  to 
kill  a  Yankee  spy  that  they  expected  would  pass  that 
night. 

When  General  Van  Dorn  gave  up  the  pursuit  after 
General  Leggett's  brigade,  ho  fell  back  with  his 
command  to  Coldwater  and  Holly  Springs,  Missis- 
sippi, and  for  a  few  weeks  every  thing  remained 
quiet. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  69 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  August  rumor  became 
prevalent  that  an  attack  was  intended  against  the 
forces  garrisoning  Bolivar,  which  rendered  it  neces- 
sary to  watch  closely.  On  the  night  of  August  27th, 
General  Hoss  told  me  that  he  had  heard  that  a  force 
of  the  enemy  had  again  got  as  far  north  as  Grand 
Junction,  and  wished  me  to  ride  down  that  night 
and  find  the  enemy's  pickets  if  they  were  north  of 
the  Junction ;  if  not,  to  go  on  to  the  Junction  and 
then  return. 

I  started  at  9  o'clock.  The  weather  was  warm, 
hut  the  night  was  extremely  dark,  which  rendered 
the  undertaking  unpleasant  and  hazardous.  It  was 
impossible  to  distinguish  objects  at  a  distance,  and 
needed  the  utmost  precaution  to  prevent  running 
into  the  pickets  before  I  was  aware  of  their  presence. 

After  having  arrived  within  three  miles  of  Grand 
Junction,  the  ride  became  more  dangerous  than  be- 
fore. Knowing  that  my  safety  required  increased 
vigilance,  I  slackened  my  pace  to  a  very  slow  walk, 
peering  forward  into  the  dark  distance  with  all  the 
powers  of  iny  vision,  hoping  if  there  were  any  pickets 
I  might  be  able  to  see  them  in  time  to  escape. 

In  that  manner  I  felt  my  way  along  in  suspense, 
until  within  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  Grand  Junc- 
tion. Here  a  single  sentry  stepped  out  in  the  mid- 
night darkness,  not  more  than  20  feet  ahead  of  my 
mule,  and  challenged : 

"  Halt !  who  comes  there  ?  " 

I  had  got  too  close  to  venture  an  escape  by  running, 
and  I  resolved  to  make  the  best  use  of  my  position 


70  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

that  the  circumstances  would  permit,  and  take  my 
chance  for  the  result. 

"A  friend,  with  a  countersign,"  I  replied,  at  the 
same  time  drawing  my  revolver  and  hanging  it  down 
by  iny  side. 

•'Advance  one,  with  the  countersign  !  "  said  the 
sentry 

"  There  a'n't  but  one  yere,"  said  I ;  "  my  mule  is 
so  ugly  that  I  don't  like  to  dismount,  and  so  skittish 
that  I  don't  know  as  I  can  advance ; "  and  at  the 
same  time  I  pretended  to  urge  my  mule  forward  to 
the  sentry,  who  stood  with  his  piece  at  "arms  port," 
"Bring  your  piece  to  an  'order,'  said  I,  "if  you  please, 
so  that  I  can  get  my  mule  up  without  dismounting.'' 
He  brought  his  piece  to  an  order,  and  as  the  mule 
moved  onward,  he  stepped  one  foot  forward  and 
leaned  toward  me  to  receive  the  countersign.  I  leaned 
forward,  and,  thrusting  my  revolver  to  his  breast,  gave 
him  my  countersign.  I  presume  the  countersign  was 
correct. 

I  did  not  wait  to  observe  the  effect  of  the  report 
of  my  revolver  upon  his  sleeping  comrades  but,  put- 
ting spurs  to  my  mule,  I  dashed  back  toward  Bolivar. 
On  did  I  press  my  mule  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  fairly 
flying  over  the  ground  until  I  reached  Van  Buren. 
As  I  was  passing  old  Billy  Moore's  house,  his  dogs 
sprang  at  my  mule,  from  the  side  of  the  road,  with 
an  infernal  yelp,  and  the  next  instant  I  lay  sprawling 
in  the  road  —  stunned  from  the  shock  of  the  fall.  I 
sprang  up,  alarmed  for  my  safety.  My  mule  had 
stopped  when  I  fell,  and  stood  facing  me,  only  a  few 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  71 

feet  from  where  I  lay.  I  managed,  however,  to  mount 
my  mule  and  go  on. 

A  .short  distance  from  Van  Buren,  I  came  to  a 
cross-road  that  led  to  Snow's  Mills.  There  I  halted, 
thinking  that,  perhaps,  1he  same  dogs  that  had  done 
me  an  evil  turn,  by  barking  at  me,  would  do  me  a  good 
one  by  barking  at  my  pursuers,  if  any  there  were. 
I  had  waited  but  a  few  minutes  when  they  com- 
menced to  bark,  and  in  an  instant  more  I  could  hear 
the  tramp  of  horses  approaching. 

I  again  dashed  ahead  towards  Bolivar,  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  Spring  Creek.  I  crossed 
to  the  opposite  side  and  there  halted,  and  listened 
for  the  splash  of  the  water  as  my  pursuers  came  up, 
but  none  came.  At  the  cross-road,  not  knowing 
which  road  I  had  taken,  they  abandoned  the  pursuit. 
Feeling  satisfied  of  this,  I  moved  on  leisurely  toward 
Bolivar. 

At  daylight  I  reached  Mr.  Dicken's  plantation, 
which  is  within  five  miles  of  Bolivar.  I  had  called 
there  several  times,  and  had  become  considerably 
acquainted  with  the  family.  Being  sore  from  my 
bruises,  and  much  fatigued  and  hungry  from  my 
night's  ride,  I  concluded  to  give  them  a  call.  As  I 
rode  up  I  observed  three  strange  horses  feeding  in 
one  of  the  out-sheds.  My  rap  at  the  door  was  re- 
sponded to  by  Mrs.  Dickens,  who  received  me  with 
a  hearty  welcome ".  and  Mr.  Dickens  was  equally 
glad  to  see  me.  I  had,  on  a  former  occasion,  intro- 
duced myself  as  a  citizen  of  Tennessee,  living  in 
Memphis.  My  mule  was  cared  for  by  one  of  the 


72  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

servants,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  were  engaged  in 
a  free  and  easy  conversation  about  the  news  from 
our  army ;  and  likewise  we  congratulated  each  other 
upon  the  future  success  of  the  Confederate  cause. 
The  Lincoln  tyranny  also  came  in  for  its  share  ol 
discussion.  While  thus  engaged,  three  strangers 
entered,  without  rapping,  to  whom  I  was  introduced 
as  one  of  "  our  folks"  from  Memphis.  I  soon  learned 
that  they  had  been  there  all  night. 
.  Shortly  after  the  three  men  entered,  one  of  them 
said  that  he  had  something  to  drink  in  another  room, 
and  proposed  that  we  retire  by  ourselves  and  "  take 
a  smile."  So  we  men  folks  all  repaired  to  the  other 
room,  where  we  indulged  pretty  freely.  It  was  not 
long  until  the  conversation  of  my  new  acquaintances 
flowed  as  freely  as  their  liquor  had  done,  and  I  learned 
from  it  that  they  were  guerrillas,  who  had  stopped 
to  spend  the  night  on  their  way  to  Middleburg,  to 
attend  a  jollification  to  come  off  that  day.  By  this 
time  breakfast  was  announced,  and  we  repaired  to 
the  table.  I  have  rarely  eaten  a  meal  that  relished 
better,  though  it  was  only  a  plain  one. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  my  guerrilla  acquaint- 
ances invited,  and  even  urged  me  to  accompany 
them ;  but  I  declined,  stating  as  a  reason  that  I  had 
business  of  great  importance,  the  nature  of  which  I 
was  not  at  liberty  to  divulge,  and  that  several  01 
our  most  reliable  friends  were  waiting  in  anticipation 
of  my  arrival  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Coleman,  in  Boli- 
var. My  mule  was  got  ready,  and,  having  bid  them 
farewell,  I  resumed  my  ride  back  to  camp. 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  73 

Two  days  after,  I  accompanied  an  expedition  to 
Middieburg  to  capture  the  guerrillas,  but  without 
success.  My  report  at  head-quarters  caused  an  in- 
*  crease  in  vigilance  on  the  part  of  scouts  and  pickets. 
On  the  31st  of  August,  the  enemy,  6,000  strong,  was 
found  to  be  advancing  in  the  vicinity  of  Middieburg. 
General  Leggett,  with  less  than  one  thousand  men, 
mostly  from  the  20th  and  78th  Ohio  regiments  of 
infantry,  met  them  there,  and  a  desperate  fight  en- 
sued, in  which  our  loss  was  trifling  and  that  of  the 
enemy  severe.  He  was  so  badly  punished,  that  he 
withdrew  his  forces. 


74  THE    GREAT    AXIi:r.ICAN 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Attempts  to  visit  the  enemy's  camp  —  Learns  the  strength  and  position 
of  the  enemy  —  Return  intercepted  —  Peril  ious  situation  —  Loses  his 
mulo  —  Frightened  by  men  of  his  own  regiment  —  The  plan  to  capture 
the  enemy—  The  negro's  report—  The  forces  discovered—  Disposes  of  a 
rebel  picket  —  Reports  his  discovery. 


the  fight  in  the  vicinity  of  Middleburg,  a 
part  of  the  enemy  went  into  camp  between  the  battle- 
ground and  Van  Buren.  Soon  after,  General  Leggett 
requested  me  to  visit  the  enemy's  camp  and  learn 
his  force,  and  whether  he  had  any  artillery.  He  gave 
me  a  pass  to  go  out,  in  the  presence  of  the  field-officer 
of  the  day,  who  said  that  no  passes  were  being 
issued  at  division  head-quarters,  and  objected  to 
my  going.  General  Leggett  told  the  officer  that  I 
was  a  privileged  character,  and  that  he  would  take 
the  responsibility  of  passing  me  out,  but  that  he  would 
give  passes  to  no  others. 

Dressed  like  a  citizen,  and  mounted  on  a  mule,  I 
went  out  and  made  my  way  to  the  rebel  picket  line, 
where  I  tried  to  pass  in,  but  was  informed  by  the 
pickets  that  they  had  orders  forbidding  them  to  pass 
citizens  in  or  out.  I  passed  along  the  line  to  other 
posts,  but  found  that  they  all  had  the  same  orders. 
I  made  myself  quite  familiar  with  the  pickets,  and 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  75 

those  not  on  duty  did  not  hesitate  to  enter  into  con- 
versation with  me,  by  means  of  which  I  learned  that 
the  forces  consisted  of  three  regiments  of  cavalry,  and 
that  there  was  no  artillery. 

Having  gathered  up  what  information  I  could,  I 
went  to  visit  the  battle-field,  and  while  there  I  came 
across  a  young  man  who  was  on  his  way  from  Sauls- 
bury  to  Soinerville,  and  had  met  with  the  same  diffi- 
culty I  had  encountered  in  getting  through  the  lines, 
and,  in  order  to  continue  his  journey,  he  had  made 
a  detour  round  the  lines.  My  own  observations  with 
his  gave  me  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  rebel  lines 
on  three  sides,  and  also  the  position  of  the  rebel  camp. 

After  completing  my  visit  to  the  battle-ground,  I 
returned  toward  Bolivar.  On  my  way  out  to  the 
rebel  lines,  I  had  seen  and  conversed  with  an  old  man, 
a  Mr.  Knight,  who  lived  about  three  miles  from 
Bolivar.  As  I  approached  his  house,  on  my  return, 
and  when  within  one  hundred  yards  of  it,  I  saw  in 
his  front  yard  two  persons  dressed  like  rebel  soldiers, 
who  had  squirrel  rifles.  The  moment  they  saw  me, 
they  brought  their  pieces  to  a  ready,  as  if  preparing 
to  fire.  I  remembered  distinctly  that  General  Leggett 
had  said  that  he  would  pass  nobody  else  out;  besides, 
I  was  a  little  suspicious  of  the  old  man  Knight's 
loyalty ;  so  I  very  naturally  concluded  that  he, 
knowing  that  I  had  gone  out,  had  procured  two  sol- 
diers to  watch  for  me  as  I  returned. 

I  immediately  wheeled  my  mule  about  and  re- 
treated behind  a  rise  of  ground,  and  then  turned  to  my 
left  into  a  corn-field.  I  dashed  ahead  about  three 


76  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

hundred  yards,  when  I  discovered  a  company  of 
rebel  cavalry  coming  in  a  line  toward  me.  I  turned 
to  my  left  again,  and  was  dashing  ahead  toward 
Bolivar,  when  I  unexpectedly  encountered  a  deep 
water-gulch  that  was  impassable  to  my  mule.  In 
my  flight  through  the  corn,  I  had  already  lost  my  hat. 
There  I  was,  surrounded,  with  the  enemy  to  my  right, 
left,  and  rear,  and  a  frightful  ditch  in  front  of  me;  it 
was  no  time  for  hesitation.  I  jumped  off  from  my 
mule  and  left  it,  and  clambering  down  into  the  ditch 
and  out  on  the  other  side,  ran  to  Bolivar  as  fast  as  I 
could  go,  bare-headed. 

I  made  my  way  into  camp,  and  procured  a  detach- 
ment of  men  and  returned,  hoping  to  find  my  mule, 
but  did  not  succeed.  I  learned  however,  that  the  two 
men  that  had  caused  my  fright  were  Daniel  Harris 
and  Columbus  Johnson,  of  my  own  regiment  They 
had  been  permitted  to  visitthe  battle-ground,  although 
Gen.  Leggett  had  pledged  to  the  officer  of  the  day  that 
he  would  pass  no  one  out  but  me. 

On  my  return,  I  reported  the  force  and  position  of 
the  enemy,  and  also  a  plan  for  its  capture.  So  well 
pleased  was  General  Leggett  with  my  plan,  that  he 
sent  me  with  it  to  General  Crocker,  who  was  then 
commanding  the  post,  during  a  temporary  absence 
of  General  Ross.  The  position  of  the  enemy  was  as 
follows : 

Five  miles  from  Bolivar,  on  the  road  leading  south 
to  Van  Buren,  the  road  forks  ;  the  right-hand  road 
leads  to  Middleburg,  a  distance  of  two  miles.  On 
the  left-hand  road,  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  from 


SCCU1    AND   SPY.  77 

the  ftik,  is  a  cross-road,  called  "  Wash.  Newbern's 
road,"  leading  into  the  right-hand  road  at  Middle- 
burg.  The  tbrco  roads- inclose  a  section  of  country 
in  shape  like  a  regular  triangle.  We  will  call  the 
Wash  Newbern  road  the  base,  and  the  right  and  left- 
hand  loads  the  sides  of  the  triangle;  Wash.  New- 
lun's  house  stands  on  the  south  side  of  the  road 
constituting  the  base,  and  about  three  hundred  yards 
from  the  left  hand  road.  On  a  line  parallel  with  the 
base,  and  thiee  hundred  yards  south  of  it,  was*  the 
rebel  camp.  Two  of  the  regiments  were  on  the  west 
side  of  the  left-hand  load,  and  one  on  the  east  side  ; 
the  regiment  occupying  the  left  of  the  enemy's  line 
was  directly  south  of  Newbern's  house.  In  front  of 
this  house,  north  of  the  road,  is  a  pasture-field  ex- 
tending north  to  the  road  leading  from  the  fork  to 
Middleburg;  the  fence  along  the  road  in  front  of 
Newbern's  was  thrown  down.  The  pasture  field  is 
narrow  at  each  end,  but  in  the  center  it  is  much 
ttider,  making  the  space  inthe  center  diamond-shaped. 
At  the  corner  of  the  cross-road,  near  the  rebel-camp, 
was  the  reserve  pickets,  and  about  one  hundred  yards 
north  of  the  reserve  was  the  advance  post.  On  the 
west  srde  of  the  pasture-he! t!  was  a  large  corn-field, 
and  on  the  east  side  a  piece  of  woods. 

My  plan  to  capture  the  enemy  was  to  take  four 
regiments  of  infantry,  and  place  two  regiments  on 
each  side  of  the  triangle  space  in  the  field,  in  the 
morning  before  daylight,  and  have  them  lay  down 
in  the  coin-field  and*  woods,  so  as  to  be  out  of  siirht. 
Then,  at  daylight,  with  what  was  known  as  the 


78  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  mule  cavalry."  (infantry  mounted  on  mules.)  num. 
bemig  one  hundred  men,  make  a  dash  on  the  reserve 
pickets  and  drive  them  in ;  then  turn  down  the  Wash. 
Newbern  road,  and,  when  in  front  of  Newbern's 
house,  break  into  confusion  and  disorder,  and  with 
whoops  and  shouts  of  defiance,  start  leismely  down 
through  the  pasture.  The  enemy 'would  naturally 
mount  their  horses  and  give  chase,  and,  when  once 
within  the  lines  of  the  infantry,  they  would  suddenly 
rise  up.  raise  a  shout,  and  close  in  each  flank,  and 
have  them  bagged. 

General  Crocker  thought  my  plan  would  work,  but 
being  only  temporarily  in  command,  did  not  like  to 
assume  the  lesponsibility  of  executing  it,  and. so  it 
was  abandoned. 

The  "  mule  cavalry  "  above  alluded  to  was  organ- 
ized to  facilitate  scouting,  and  watch  more  closely 
the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  to  check  the  de- 
predations of  the  guerillas  that  infested  the  country. 
It  was  composed  of  men  from  the  infantry,  selected 
for  their  daring  and  gallantry.  On  account  of  the 
thorough  knowledge  that  I  had  obtained  of  the 
country,  I  was  generally  sent,  out  with  them,  to  guide 
them  in  their  scouts. 

Not  a  great  while  after  the  Ibregoinjr  adventure, 
as  the  •'  mule  cavalry  Jl  'was  going  out  on  the  road 
leading  south  from  Bolivar,  I  accompanied  them  on 
n,y  own  responsibility.  After  we  had  got] outside 
of  the  lines  a  short  distance.  I  left  the  muje  cavalry 
and  took  across  the^fields  to  the  left,  to  Mr.,  Bill's 
plantation..  I  had  got  into  a  cotton- neldjpjijiis  pian- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.     '  79 

tation,  and  was  riding  leisurely  along,  when  one  of 
the  negroes,  who  was  picking  cotton  a  short  distance 
to  my  right,  caired  out, 

"Hallo,  dar,  Mr.  Bimker!  yon  come  dis  way." 

I  obeyed,  and  rode  out  to  see  what  the  darkey 
wanted. 

"  Mr.  Bunker,  hab  we  got  forces  down  dar  in  de 
bottom  ?  " 

"  No,  we  have  n't  got  any  forces  there." 

"  Wai,  dar's  forces  down  in  dar :  for  de  horns  souns 
down  in  dar  reg'lar  ebery  inornin',  ebery  noon,  an* 
ebery  night,  an'  dar  mils'  be  forces  down  dar." 

"It  must  be  rebel  forces,  then;  probably  rebel 
cavalry." 

"  Oh,  Lord !  Mr.  Bunker,  do  n't  talk  dat  ar  way, 
for  <Jey,  will  he  up  here  for  sure  some  night,  an'  dey 
will  kill  all  dc  niggers  Massa  Bill  hab  got!  " 

"  Well,  I  must  go  and  see  who  is  down  there.  Can 
you  tell  me  of  any  path  that  leads  there  ?  " 

/l  Thar's  heaps  o'  hog-paths  dat  leads  down  in  dat 
ar  way  as  yer  go  through  de  gate  in  de  fur  en'  de 
field. "  said  he,  pointing  to  the  fence. 

I  rode  on  through  the  field  in  the  direction  pointed 
out,  and  following  one  of  the  hog-paths,  I  descended 
a  hill,  and  was  just  rising  to  the  top  of  another, 
when  I  discovered,  on  a  ridge  in  advance  of  me,  four- 
teen mounted  rebels.  They  evidently  had  not  seen 
me.  I  immediately  backed  my  mule  down  the  hill 
so  far  as  to  be  out  of  sight,  and  then  turned  to  the 
left  and  went  down  into  a  hollow,  and  then  up  a 
narrow  ridge,  or  l(  hog  back  "  leading  in  the  direction 


80  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

of  Bolivar.  When  I  had  rode  along  about  four  hun- 
dred yards  through  the  scattering  timber,  I  saw  a 
fellow  dressed  like  a  rebel  soldier,  about  fifty  yards 
ahead,  approaching  me,  with  a  double-barreled  shot- 
gun, which  he  carried,  lying  across  the  back  of  his 
neck,  resting  on  both  shoulders,  with  both  his  arms 
up  over  the  gun.  As  he  came  along  he  was  whist- 
ling a  very  lively  tune,  apparently  perfectly  uncon- 
cerned at  my  approach. 

The  moment  I  saw  him,  and  before  he  discovered 
my  movements,  I  drew  my  revolver,  and  held  it  down 
by  the  side  of  my  leg,  out  of  sight,  and  when  within 
about  six  feet  of  him,  I  presented  my  revolver  and 
ordered  him  to  halt.  He  did  so,  looking  perfectly 
astonished.  Lay  that  gun  right  down  on  the  ground, 
I  continued.  He  did  so,  by  raising  it  right  up  over 
his  head  with  both  hands  and  laying  it  down  in  front 
of  him;  then,  straightening  himself  up  in  the  position 
of  a  soldier,  said: 

"  Well  sir;  what  will  you  have?  " 

"  Step  right  lack,  away  from  that  gun!  "  He  did 
so.  "That  will  do,"  said  I,  when  about  ten  feet  away, 
I  at  the  same  time  riding  up  to  the  gun. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

''I've  just  been  relieved  from  the  look-outpost, 
out  thar." 

"  Look-out  post !  What 's  that  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  belong  to  that  ar  mule  cavalry  ?  " 

"  No,  I  do  n't  belong  to  it,  but  I  sometimes  go  with 
it  What  command  do  you  belong  to  ?  " 

"Armstrong's  2d  Battalion  of  Cavalry." 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  SI 

"  How  many  are  there  of  you  here  ?  " 
"  There  are  one  hundred  and  sixty  of  us." 
"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 
"  We  are  sent  out  here  to  watch  the  mule  cavalry." 
"  Where  is  your  look-out  post?  " 
"  Well,  sir,  are  you  acquainted  about  here?  " 
"  I  am  acquainted  with  all  roads,  but  not  with 
your  look-out  post." 

"  Well,  sir,  our  look-out  post  is  in  old  'Squire 
Knight's  wheat-field.  There  is  a  big  black  stump 
there,  with  a  plank  across  the  top  of  it ;  we  stand  on 
that.  From  there  we  can  see  your  mule  cavalry  at 
Joe  Knight's,  and  we  can  see  you  at  John  Ursury's 
blacksmith-shop,  and  tell  whether  you  take  the  Mid- 
dleburg  or  Van  Buren  road  ;  and  tlie  next  place  that 
we  can  see  you  is  at  Wash.  Newbern's  lane,  and  we 
can  tell  whether  you  go  to  Van  Buren  or  to  Wash. 
Newbern's.  If  ever  you  get  down  past  Beaver's 
lane,  going  to  Van  Buren,  it  will  be  the  last  of  you 
and  your  mule  cavalry" 

I  then  dismounted  and  picked  up  the  shot-gun. 
What  to  do  with  the  soldier  was  hard  for  me  to  de- 
cide. If  I  undertook  to  take  him  to  Bolivar,  it  was 
quite  probable  that  I  would  lose  my  prisoner,  and 
perhaps  my  life.  To  let  him  go  would  endanger  my 
life  and  that  of  others  ;  particularly  my  own,  in  case 
he  should  ever  recognize  me  with  in  their  lines.  So 
I  paroled  him,  shouldered  the  gun  and  started  for 
Bolivar.  I  did  not  feel  safe  in  carrying  the  gun, 
lest  it  should  betray  me  in  case  I  should  be  captured 
by  a  squad  of  rebel  cavalry ;  so,  at  the  first  stump  I 
G 


82  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

came  to,  I  dismounted  and  broke  it,  and  then  went 
on.  If  I  had  had  a  gun  of  long  range,  I  should 
have  tried  a  pull  at  the  man  on  the  look-out  post, 
hut  as  it  was,  I  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  molest 
him. 

On  reaching  camp,  I  concluded  that  it  was  my 
duty  to  report  to  somebody ;  but  not  having  been 
officially  sent  out,  I  reported  to  Colonel  Force.  He 
listened  to  my  report,  and  when  I  had  finished,  told 
me  to  report  to  General  Ross.  I  did  so,  and  he  told 
me  to  have  myself  in  readiness  the  next  morning  to 
guide  a  force  of  cavalry  around  to  the  rear  of  the 
rebel  force,  and  that  he  would  send  a  regiment  of 
infantry  in  front,  and  try  to  capture  the  whole  of 
them.  Morning  came,  and  I  was  ready  to  go,  but 
received  no  orders.  I  have  since  learned  that  the 
plan  fell  through  because  the  Colonel  wanted  his 
regiment  to  go,  and  the  General  wanted  his  old  regi- 
ment to  go,  and  finally  did  not  send  any. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  83 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Sent  to  find  the  enemy's  pickets — Suspicious  circumstance — Sick  child — 
Captures  three  citizens  standing  picket  —  Releases  them — Falls  asleep 
— Perilous  situation — Fortunate  turn  of  affairs — Attack  on  the  pickets 
— A  very  pious  man  —  He  proves  a  rebel  spy. 

ABOUT  a  week  after  my  attempts  to  get  into  the 
rebel  camp  near  Wash.  Newbern's,  General  Ross  sent 
me  down  to  the  corners,  at  Newbern's  lane,  to  ascer- 
tain whether  the  enemy  had  any  pickets  there.  I  was 
ordered  to  take  three  men  with  me,  and  to  be  very 
cautious  in  my  movements,  and,  if  I  found  any 
pickets  near  the  place  designated,  not  to  fire  into 
them,  but  to  come  immediately  back  and  report.  The 
place  I  was  to  visit,  was  seven  miles  from  Bolivar; 
we  started  out  after  9  o'clock  in  the  evening ;  I  was 
mounted  on  a  mule  but  the  three  men  that  accom- 
panied me  were  on  foot.  It  was  a  starlight  night  — 
not  so  dark  but  that  we  could  discern  objects  at  a 
considerable  distance,  and  yet  dark  enough  to  facili- 
tate our  movements. 

Five  miles  from  Bolivar,  we  came  to  a  house  oc- 
cupied by  Mr.  John  Ursury,  and  as  we  approached 
it,  we  observed  in  it  a  light.  We  had  moved  along 
very  slowly,  and  it  was  then  past  11  o'clock.  Think- 


84  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

ing  it  was  rather  strange  that  a  light  should  be  burn- 
ing there  at  that  hour  of  the  night,  I  resolved  to  as- 
certain the  cause. 

Taking  one  man  with  me,  and  sending  the  other 
two  to  the  rear  of  the  house  to  capture  any  persons 
that  might  undertake  to  escape,  I  rode  up  to  the  front 
door,  with  my  revolver  drawn,  and,  without  dis- 
mounting, lifted  the  latch  and  shoved  the  door  wide 
open.  The  persons  present  were  Mrs.  Ursury  and 
children,  one  of  them  a  small  child,  and  a  brother  of 
John  Ursury,  about  fifteen  years  old. 

"  What  are  you  doing  hero  with  a  light  at  this 
time  of  night  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  Wo  have  got  a  sick  child,"  replied  Mrs.  Ursury, 
"and  we  are  doctoring  it." 

"  It's  best  to  see  whether  the  child  is  sick  or  not," 
said  the  man  that  accompanied  me.  He  then  went 
in  and  found  it  awake  in  the  cradle,  and,  stranger  as 
he  was,  soon  had  the  child  in  a  frolic,  laughing  and 
playing. 

"It's  a  curious  sickness  that  that  child  has  got," 
said  the  man,  coming  out. 

I  then  called  the  brother  out,  and,  pointing  my 
revolver  at  hirn,  said:  "There  is  something  going  on 
here  besides  doctoring  a  sick  child,  you  young  scamp, 
you!  and  if  you  don't  tell  me  in  a  minute  what  it  is, 
I'll  blow  the  heart  right  out  of  you  !  " 

"Mr.  Bunker,"  said  he,  "  is  there  any  forces  com- 
ing along  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  is  a  large  force  coining." 

"  Well,  my  brother  is  standing  watch  up  by  the 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  85 

railroad.  Hadn't  I  better  go  up  and  toll  him  to  come 
down  ?  " 

"  No  ;  you  go  into  the  house  and  stay  there.  I'll 
go  after  him  myself." 

I  then  called  my  men  and  went  into  the  road, 
where  I  ordered  them  to  remain  until  I  could  call. 
I  then  rode  forward  to  see  what  was  going  on. 
When  I  came  in  sight  of  the  railroad  crossing,  I  saw 
five  men ;  three  of  the  men  were  mounted  and  two 
Avere  not;  they  did  not  seem  to  have  any  arms.  I 
called  to  my  men  to  come  on,  and  then  dashed  up 
to  them  with  revolver  drawn,  and  demanded  of  them 
to  surrender.  As  I  was  dashing  up,  the  two  th-at 
were  not  mounted  fled,  and  the  other  three  stood 
their  ground. 

"Don't  shoot  us,  Mr.  Bunker!  called  out ' Mr.  Ur- 
sury,  who  at  once  recognized  me." 

"  March  down  into  the  road,  then,  if  you  don't 
want  to  he  shot !  Fine  business,  this  !  Good  loyal 
men  standing  picket  for  rebel  soldiers  !  March  down 
there  !  I'll  see  about  this." 

I  then  marched  them  over  to  where  I  had  left  my 
men,  who  failing  to  hear  me  call,  had  remained 
where  I  left  them.  One  of  the  prisoners  was  an  old, 
gray-headed  preacher,  by  the  name  of  Parson  Ha- 
mer ;  I  have  forgotten  the  name  of  the  other.  The 
two  that  I  have  named  I  had  seen  several  times  be- 
fore. 

"  What  were  you  doing  there  at  this  time  of  night?" 
I  inquired. 

"  We  were  watching  for  some  niggers  to  come 


8G  THE    GKEAT    AMERICAN 

along  that  ran  away  from  my  brother-in-law,"  said 
Ursury." 

"Who  were  those  two  men  with  you  that  ran 


"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Ursury. 

I  asked  the  other  two,  and  they  denied  knowing 
who  they  were. 

"Well,  I  can  tell  who  they  were,"  I  continued. 
"  There  are  rebel  forces  over  in  Mr.  Dickens'  woods, 
and  those  men  belong1  to  them,  and  you  men  were 
standing  picket  for  them."  This  they  stoutly  denied, 
and  said  that  if  they  were  any  rebel  forces  there 
they  did  not  know  it. 

Addressing  Parson  Hamer,  I  said ;  "  You  are  an 
old,,  gray-headed  man — a  preacher  of  the  Gospel ; 
you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself.  An  old  man 
like  you,  with  one  foot  in  the  grave  and  the  other 
just  ready  to  slip  in,  out  at  this  time  of  night  watch- 
ing for  niggers!  That's  a  fine  excuse!  It  don't 
look  reasonable.  You  are  a  contemptible  old  rebel } 
with  the  oath  in  your  pocket,  and  you  deserve  to  be 
shot!" 

I  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  them  ;  I  had  two 
miles  further  to  go,  and  it  was  necessary  for  me  to 
take  all  my  men  with  me,  and  to  be  encumbered 
with  prisoners,  in  case  we  should  run  into  a  force, 
would  be  hazardous.  I  finally  took  down  their 
names  and  released  them,  and  then  went  on. 

Finding  no  pickets  at  Newbern  lane,  we  returned. 
On  arriving  at  the  railroad  crossing  where  I  had 
captured  the  prisoners,  I  sent  my  men  to  camp  by 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  87 

way  of  the  railroad,  which  was  a  much  shorter  route 
than  the  wagon-road,  and  kept  on  myself  the  way  I 
had  come  out. 

Having  slept  hut  very  little  for  several  nights,  hy 
reason  of  being  out  on  scouts,  after  parting  company 
with  my  men  I  hecame  very  sleepy,  and  experienced 
considerable  difficulty  in  keeping  awake,  and  at  last 
fell  asleep. 

All  at  once  my  mule  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  throw- 
ing up  its  head  as  if  something  was  wrong.  The 
movement  woke  me  up,  and  there,  stretched  across 
the  road,  was  a  line  cf  soldiers  bringing  their  pieces 
to  a  ready.  I  could  plainly  hear  the  click-ick-ick  as 
they  cocked  them,  for  they  were  not  more  than  fifteen 
yards  from  me.  I  cannot  describe  the  horror  and 
alarm  that  I  felt  at  my  situation;  it  was  of  no  use  to 
run,  so  I  resolved  to  put  on  a  bold  front  and  sell  my 
life  as  dear  as  possible.  Surrender !  no,  never ! 
thought  I,  if  I  die  the  next  instant. 

"  Who  comes  there  ?  "  said  I,  drawing  my  re- 
volver. 

"  Advance  and  give  the  countersign  !  "  said  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  soldiers. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "     said  I. 

"No  matter!"  said  he:  "advance  and  give  the 
countersign." 

"  I  shan't  advance  a  step  until  I  know  who  you 
are!" 

"Well,  you  advance  one,"  said  he,  "and  I'll  ad- 
vance one." 

"  Very  well ;  come  on  !  " 


88  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

As  we  met,  each  with  a  revolver  cocked,  the  officer 
exclaimed,  "  Why,  Banker !  Is  that  you  ?  I  am 
frightened  to  think  of  it !  Why  didn't  you  stop  ? 
In  an  instant  more  my  whole  company  would  have 
fired  into  you  !  " 

"I  was  asleep,  Captain!  It  was  a  narrow  es- 
cape, was  n't  it  ?" 

"  Indeed,  it  was  !  " 

It  was  no  other  than  Captain  Ayres  ana  com- 
pany A,  of  the  20th  Ohio,  sent  out  as  a  support  for 
me  to  fall  hack  on  if  I  was  discovered  by  the  enemy 
and  pursued.  They  had  been  sent  out  after  I  left, 
and  I  had  no  knowledge  that  they  were  coming. 
The  result  of  it  was,  I  came  very  near  falling  back 
without  any  support ! 

My  suspicions  of  a  rebel  force  being  in  Dickens' 
woods  was  confirmed  in  the  morning  by  an  attack 
on  our  pickets,  by  a  force  of  five  hundred  men,  by 
which  two  men  of  the  23d  Indiana  were  wounded. 
After  firing  into  the  pickets,  the  enemy  made  a  de- 
tour to  the  north-west  of  Bolivar,  and  there  encoun- 
tered a  large  Federal  foraging  party,  that  fired  into 
them  and  killed  seven,  which  made  them  skedaddle. 

The  next  day  I  obtained  leave  of  Gen.  Ross  to 
take  a  squad  of  9  men,  and  go  out  6  miles  and  get 
15  Ibs.  of  nice  sweet  butter  which  had  just  been 
churned  and  worked  up  for  a  company  of  Arm- 
strong's cavalry.  I  told  the  General  that  I  thought 
it  would  taste  as  good  to  Federal  soldiers  as  to  the 
Confederates.  Having  found  the  butter  and  also  a 
fine  lot  of  honey,  and  a  quantity  of  chickens,  we 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  89 

loaded*  them  into  an  open  buggy,  confiscated  a  mule 
to  draw  it,  and  then  bent  our  way  back  to  camp.  We 
had  proceeded  but  a  little  way,  when  I  discovered  a 
man  a  short  distance  ahead.  As  soon  as  he  saw  us, 
he  sat  down  in  the  shade  of  a  tree  in  a  bend  of  the 
road,  pulled  out  a  Bible,  and  commenced  to  read. 
Coming  up  to  him,  I  said,  "  Daddy,  how  do  you  do  ?  " 

"  By  the  grace  of  God,  I  am  well,  and  I  hope  you 
enjoy  the  same  blessing,"  was  his  answer. 

"  You  are  mighty  good,  a'n't  you  ?  You  are  a  sol- 
dier, I  suppose." 

"No,  gentlemen,  I  am  not  a  soldier.  By  the 
providence  of  God,  I  am  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel, 
pure." 

"Look  here,  daddy;  don't  you  know  that  this 
country  is  invaded?  Over  there  lies  the  Federal  army, 
and  yonder  the  Confederate  army.  What  business 
have  you  to  be  prowling  about  between  the  lines  of 
the  two  contending  armies  ?  " 

"I  have  got  a  Federal  pass,"  said  he,  handing  me 
one  signed  by  General  Ross,  "  and  I  have  taken  the 
oath.  I  have  no  connection  with  the  Confederate 
army." 

"Well,  daddy,  you  don't  look  like  a  man  with  a 
clear  conscience ;  we  must  search  you."  We  pro- 
ceeded to  search  him,  which  resulted  in  finding,  in  a 
leg  of  his  pantaloons,  between  the  outside  and  lining 
a  map  eighteen  inches  by  twenty  two,  representing 
exactly  our  fortifications,  intrenchments,  camp,  and 
picket  'line  at  Bolivar.  It  was  skillfully  executed, 
and  was  as  accurate  as  it  could  well  be  made.  Our 


90  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

discovery  of  the  map  took  away  the  old  man's  sanc- 
timonious dignity.  "  This  is  one  of  your  sermons, 
I  suppose ! "  I  remarked,  as  I  drew  out  the  map. 
"A  fine  subject  for  a  minister  of  the  Gospel !  "  He 
dropped  his  head  and  made  no  reply. 

"  Now,  daddy,  you  look  tired ;  you  get  into  the 
buggy  and  ride."  So  the  old  man  got  in.  ''Boys," 
said  I,  "  is'nt  there  some  way  to  get  that  mule  to 
Bolivar  without  that  rope?"  The  boys  took  the  hint, 
and  fastened  the  rope  to  a  limb  of  a  tree  which  ex- 
tended over  the  buggy,  where  the  old  man  was 
sitting,  that  he  might  hold  on  to  it."  Now,  daddy," 
said  I,  "you  are  in  a  hurry  to  get  to  Canaan,  and  we 
are  in  a  hurry  to  get  to  camp,  so  good  day,  sir."  Our 
mule  than  gave  a  desperate  plunge,  leaving  him  to 
travel  his  journey  alone  tot  hat  place  where,  "by  the 
grace  of  God,"  he'll  have  no  use  for  maps  of  Federal 
fortifications. 

I  carried  the  map  to  General  Ross,  and  related  to 
him  the  circumstances  ol  its  capture. 

"Did  you  bring  the  man  in?"  he  inquired. 

"No,  sir;  we  have  brought  in  several  disloyal 
characters,  and  they  have  all  managed  to  get  released ; 
for  that  reason  we  thought  it  not  worth  while." 

Gen.  Ross  sent  the  map  to  Gen.  Grant,  then  at 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  accompanied  with  the  particulars  of 
its  capture. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  91 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Sent  to  Somervillo —  Finds  himself  a  prisoner  —  Taken  to  Cold  Water — 
Meets  with  old  acquaintances — Is  paroled — Runs  with  thoSd  Arkansas 
Cavalry  —  Goes  to  Lumpkins'  Mills —  Interview  with  General  Price — 
Stays  sill  niglit  with  his  brother,  the  rebel  General — Return  to  Bolivar 
—  Reports  to  General  Ross  —  Obtains  the  Colonel's  horse,  and  returns 
to  the  enemy — Runs  away  from  the  enemy. 

ABOUT  the  middle  of  September,  the  enemy  having 
disappeared  from  our  immediate  front,  General  Ross 
sent  me  to  Somerville,  with  instructions  to  reconnoiter 
the  country  all  about,  and  find  out,  if  possible,  where 
the  enemy  had  gone  to,  and  such  other  information 
as  I  could  obtain. 

I  started  out  quite  early  in  the  morning,  mounted 
on  a  mule,  dressed  like  a  citizen  in  easy  circum- 
stances. Whenever  I  met  a  planter,  I  would  stop 
and  converse  with  him  about  the  "  news  from  our 
army,"  and  the  prospects  of  the  war,  and  the  "thiev- 
ing Yankees  that  were  robbing  us  of  our  cotton  and 
niggers.''  In  the  course  of  such  conversation,  I  learned 
there  were  no  rebel  forces  in  that  immediate  vicinity. 
About  noon,  I  reached  Somerville.  There  I  found 
every  thing  quiet  as  a  Sabbath  morning.  Passing 
through  the  town,  I  took  the  road  to  Moscow.  Com- 
ing to  a  large,  fine  brick  house  that  stands  near  the 


92  THE   GREAT    AMERICAN 

railroad  depot,  I  drew  up  and  alighted  from  my  mule, 
and  went  in,  i  n  pursuit  of  some  dinner. 

"  Stranger,"  said  I,  addressing  an  elderly  gentleman 
that  I  found  on  entering,  can  I  get  some  dinnerhere  ?" 

"  I  reckon  so,"  he  said,  handing  me  a  chair;  "din- 
ner will  he  ready  in  a  few  minutes.  Sit  down." 

I  complied. 

"  Where  do  you  belong?  "  he  inquired. 

"  My  home  is  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  hut — " 

Just  then  I  was  interrupted  hy  the  entrance  of  two 
men,  who  carne  in  from  an  adjoining  room,  one  of 
whom  asked  me  where  I  belonged. 

"I  was  just  saying  to  this  gentleman,"  I  replied, 
that  my  home  is  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  hut  I  came 
from  Bolivar  here." 

"  Do  you  belong  to  the  Federal  army  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  am  a  citizen  of  this  State,  and  my  home, 
as  I  said  before,  is  in  Memphis." 

"  How  came  you  to  be  in  Bolivar  ?  " 

"  I  went  out  there  to  see  General  Neely  and  Doctor 
Coleman,  and  the  Adamses,  and  several  others  that 
I  am  acquainted  with,  and  when  I  got  in  there  the 
Yankees  would  not  let  me  out  when  I  wanted  them 
to,  and  I  had  to  remain  there  several  days." 

"  Did  you  get  a  pass  from  the  Yank's  to  get  out 
with  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  it  only  passed  me  out,  and  was  re- 
tained by  the  pickets." 

"Have  you  got  any  fire-arms  or  papers  with  you?'' 

"  No,  sir ;  I  had  a  nice  navy  revolver  that  I  car- 
ried  to  Bolivar,  but  I  was  obliged  to  leave  it  with  an 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  93 

acquaintance  when  I  left,  to  keep  the  Yankees  from 
taking  it  away  from  me." 

"  Well,  sir,  you  may  consider  yourself  my  pris- 
oner, and  after  dinner  we'll  go  down  to  Cold  Water 
and  see  what  they  can  do  for  you  there." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  I,  "  I  am  no  Yankee  soldier. 
I  am  a  citizen,  and  I  can't  see  what  object  you  can 
have  in  taking  me  there." 

"  It  don't  matter  whether  you  do  or  not.  I  think 
that  they  will  have  some  use  for  you." 

Dinner  was  then  announced  as  ready,  and  we  all 
sat  up.  "  /  think  they  will  have  some  use  for  you  !  " 
reverberated  through  my  brain,  and  set  me  into  a 
train  of  thought  anything  but  agreeable.  Fm  to  be 
a  conscript  then  !  thought  I.  I  tried  to  suppress  rny 
feelings,  and  feigned  to  be  cheerful,  as  if  nothing 
had  occurred  to  disturb  my  equanimity.  In  fact,  my 
only  hope  was  in  appearing  cheerful. 

When  dinner  was  over,  the  two  men  had  their 
horses  brought  out,  and  we  all  three  mounted  and 
started  for  Cold  Water,  forty  miles  distant.  On  the 
way  I  kept  up  a  cheerful  conversation,  and  on  sev- 
eral occasions  I  had  my  butternut  friends  convulsed 
with  laughter.  I  found  out  that  the  man  who  had 
made  me  a  prisoner  was  Captain  Daniels,  a  noted 
guerrilla,  and  the  other  person  was  a  Quartermaster. 

At  2  o'clock,  A.  M.,  we  reached  the  outpost  near 
Cold  Water,  where  we  halted  until  daylight,  and 
then  went  in.  As  we  were  going  in,  we  met  a  sol- 
dier, who,  when  he  saw  me,  called  out,  "  Hallo,  Rug- 
gles,  is  that  you  ?  Where  have  you  been  ?  I  hav'n't 


94  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

seen  you  since  we  made  shingles  together  on  White 
River ! " 

"  I'm  a  prisoner,"  said  I. 

"  A  prisoner  ?  are  you  !  " 

"  Yes,  Captain  Daniels,  here,  captured  in6  at 
Somerville,  yesterday." 

"  Ha,  ha !  captured  you  ?  Why,  Captain,  I  have 
known  that  man  for  years,  and  made  shingles  for 
him  on  White  River,  in  Arkansas,  and  he  is  as  loyal 
to  the  Confederate  cause  as  you  are  !  There  are  five 
or  six  other  hoys  here  that  know  him  as  well  as  I  do ! " 

Captain  Daniels  then  took  me  to  the  head-quarters 
of  the  regiment,  and  there  I  found,  in  the  Colonel, 
another  man  that  I  was  well  acquainted  with.  His 
name  was  Slemmens  ;  he  used  to  be  prosecuting  at- 
torney at  Napoleon,  Arkansas.  When  I  entered  his 
quarters — 

"  Lord  hless  me !  "  he  said,  "  if  here  a'n't  Ruggles ! 
How  are  you  ?  " 

"  Pretty  well,  I  thank  you.  I  am  glad  to  meet 
you.  I  didn't  know  that  you  was  in  the  service. 
The  last  time  we  met  was  at  Napoleon,  I  believe." 

"  Yes ;  but  pray  what  fetched  you  here  ?" 

"  Captain  Daniels  captured  me  and  fetched  me 
here." 

"  Captured  you  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  told  him  I  was  a  citizen  of  the  South, 
but  he  did  not  believe  me." 

"  I  have  known  Ruggles  these  six  years,  Captain ; 
he's  all  right.  But,  then,  never  mind — I  see !  we'll 
make  him  count  one  in  exchange.  I'll  parole  him. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  95 

"  But "  said  he  "  if  you  can't  bring  in  better 
prisoners  than  this,  you  need  not  capture  any  more." 
Where  did  you  find  him  ?  " 

Daniels  told  him  the  particulars  of  my  capture, 
and  that  I  had  been  in  Bolivar  several  weeks. 

"Well,"  said  the  Colonel,  "I'll  parole  him." 

Captain  Daniels  and  Quartermaster  then  left  me 
with  Colonel  Slemmens,  and  returned  toward  Somer- 
ville.  My  old  acquaintances  all  got  together  at  the 
Colonel's  quarters,  and  we  had  a  right  lively  visit. 
They  were  all  urgent  to  have  me  join  the  regiment, 
and  I  finally  consented  to  run  with  them  awhile, 
and  promised  to  join  if  I  liked  the  regiment.  I  had 
found  out,  by  this  time,  that  it  was  the  2d  Arkansas 
Cavalry,  and  was  there  on  outpost  duty.  It  had 
been  raised  in  a  part  of  Arkansas  where  I  was  well 
acquainted.  There  was  no  other  Regiment  there  at 
that  time.  The  principal  part  of  the  rebel  forces  in 
Northern  Mississippi  were  then  camped  at  Luinpkins' 
Mills,  seven  miles  south  of  Holly  Springs. 

Among  the  acquaintances  that  I  made  during  my 
stay  in  the  regiment,  was  the  Lieutenant-Colonel 
and  the  regimental  sutler.  The  former  was  a  Method- 
ist clergymen,  by  the  name  of  Rosebrook.  He  was 
very  urgent  in  his  endeavors  to  have  me  join  the 
regiment. 

Two  days  after  my  arrival  the  regiment  received 
orders  from  General  Villipigue  to  move  to  Gun  Town, 
on  the  Ohio  and  Mobile  Railroad,  seventy  miles  dis- 
tant. I  went  with  it.  There  it  received  orders  from 
General  Van  Dorn  to  go  to  Ripley.  We  remained  at 


96  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

Ripley  a  few  days,  during  which  time  we  made  two 
or  three  cotton-burning  trips.  We  then  received  orders 
to  go  back  to  Cold  Water. 

From  Cold  Water  I  accompanied  Colonel  Slemmens 
on  a  visit  to  Lumpkins'  Mills.  While  there  we  called 
on  General  Price,  and  I  was  introduced  as  a  brother 
of  General  Ruggles.  In  the  conversation  that  was 
had  with  Colonel  Slemmens  and  myself,  General 
Price  learned  that  I  did  not  belong  to  any  organized 
regiment,  but  that  I  had  temporarily  attached  my- 
self to  the  2d  Arkansas  Cavalry.  He  told  me  that  I 
would  have  to  be  assigned  to  some  regiment  as  a 
conscript.  I  objected  to  that.  He  said  that  it  would 
have  to  be  done,  and  without  this  I  could  not  draw 
any  pay  or  subsistence  from  the  Confederate 
Government. 

"  General,"  said  I,  "  the  Southern  Confederacy  is 
of  more  consequence  to  me  than  pay.  I  did  not  come 
into  the  army  for  pay.  I  have  got  twenty  three 
hundred  dollars  in  iny  pocket,  and  I  intend  to  fight 
on  that  until  it  is  gone.  I  have  got  a  rich  sister  in 
Memphis,  and  when  that  is  gone,  I  will  go  to  her  and 
get  more.  Besides,  I  can  do  more  good  as  I  am,  be- 
cause when  there  is  a  fight  coming  off  any  where,  I 
can  go  into  it,  but  if  I  am  fast,  I  can  only  go  where 
the  regiment  goes  to  which  I  belong." 

"  Well,"  said  the  General,  "perhaps  you  can  do  the 
most  good  as  you  are ;  you  may  remain  so." 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  day  before  we  were  to  re. 
turn,  General  Price  sent  me  word  that  my  brother, 
General  Ruggles,  had  arrived.  I  immediately  went 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  97 

to  head-quarters  to  see  him.  He  expressed  great 
delight  at  meeting  me,  and  called  me  "  Bub,"  as  he 
used  to  do  when  at  home,  though  I  was  forty  years 
old.  The  Adjutant-General  assigned  us  a  tent  by 
ourselves,  and  I  remained  with  my  brother  all  night. 
He  had  not  been  to  Ohio  for  a  great  many  years,  and 
he  was  very  much  interested  in  learning  the  changes 
that  had  taken  place  in  the  neighborhood  where  he 
was  raised.  All  I  learned  of  him  about  the  army 
was,  that  his  command  was  near  Baton  Rouge,  La., 
and  that  he  had  come  there  on  business  pertaining 
to  his  command.  He  did  not  ask  me  where  I  lived, 
nor  allude  to  the  subject  of  the  rebellion. '  He  knew 
that  I  had  spent  a  great  portion  of  my  life  in  the 
South,  and,  naturally  enough,  supposed  that  I  was 
identified  with  her  interests. 

In  the  morning  I  returned  with  Colonel  Slemmens 
to  Cold  Water.  I  had  learned,  by  this  time,  a  great 
deal  of  information,  and  had  been  absent  a  much 
greater  length  of  time  than  I  had  calculated  on  when 
I  left  Bolivar,  and  I  began  to  feel  anxious  to  get 
back  and  report.  I  had  become  quite  a  favorite  with 
Colonel  Slemmens,  and  I  could  generally  get  from 
him  any  favor  that  I  asked  for. 

"  Colonel,"  said  I  to  him,  the  next  morning  after 
we  returned,  "all  the  rest  of  the  boys  have  got  horses 
of  their  own,  and  I  have  got  nothing  but  that  little 
mule  of  mine  to  ride,  and  I  want  something  else. 
Can't  you  make  a  cotton-burning  trip  up  into  tho 
vicinity  of  Bolivar  ?  While  I  was  there  I  found  one 
regiment  of  Yankees  camped  out  a  little  distance 
7 


THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

from  the  other  regiments,  and  the  Colonel  of  it  has 
got  a  splendid  horse ;  if  you  will  go,  I  can  get  in 
there  and  capture  it." 

"  Pshaw !  You  could  not  get  into  the  lines  if  you 
were  there ! " 

"  Tes  I  can ;  I  know  right  where  to  get  in,  and  if 
I  don't  get  that  horse  I'll  get  some  other.  I'm  hound 
to  have  a  horse." 

"Well,  I  can't  go  now,  but  I'll  see  about  it." 

I  waited  two  days,  and  then  tried  him  again. 

"Colonel,"  said  I,  "what  do  you  think  about  that 
cotton  trip  to  Bolivar  now?  I'm  getting  very  anxious 
for  that  horse." 

"  If  I  thought  you  would  succeed,  I'd  go." 

"  I  Imow  I'll  succeed." 

"'How  close  can  we  get  without  getting  into  the 
Yankee  pickets  ?  " 

"We  can  get  as  far  as  Jonathan  Hcrse's  place,  and 
there  you  can  halt  until  I  go  in  and  return." 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  take  five  companies  and  we'll  go 
up  there  to-day,  and  we'll  have  everything  ready  to 
start  at  10  o'clock  A.  M." 

At  the  appointed  time  wo  started,  and  moved 
along  rapidly  until  wo  reached  Horse's  plantation, 
it  was  in  the  night  when  we  reached  there.  The 
Colonel  retained  three  companies,  and  sent  two,  under 
command  of  a  Captain,  with  me  with  instructions  to 
stop  at  such  a  place  as  I  should  designate,  and  wait 
three  hours  for  me  to  return,  unless  I  returned  sooner, 
and  if  I  did  not  coino  back  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
to  return  without  me. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  99 

We  went  on  until  we  came  within  about  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  pickets,  where  I  had  the  Cap- 
tain halt  his  men,  and,  leaving  my  mule,  I  went  on. 
I  found  the  advanced  picket  right  where  I  expected 
to.  He  was  on  the  alert,  and  challenged  me  as  I 
came  up.  There  I  cautioned  the  officer  in  command 
of  the  pickets  to  be  on  the  alert,  for  two  companies 
of  rebel  cavalry  were  within  rifle-shot  of  him.  The 
pickets  were  all  called  up,  and  I  was  sent,  under 
guard,  to  General  Ross.  I  had  him  called  up,  and 
reported  to  him  what  I  had  learned,  and  told  him 
that,  in  order  to  carry  out  my  plans,  I  wanted  an 
order  on  the  Quartermaster  for  a  number  one  horse. 
I  also  told  him  that  I  would  leave  my  mule  on  Mr. 
Herse's  plantation,  and  requested  him  to  send  a 
forage  party  out  the  next  day  and  bring  the  mule 
in.  He  gave  me  the  order,  and  I  went  immediately 
to  C.  C.  Williams,  Assistant  Quartermaster,  and  woke 
him  up,  and  told  him  I  was  in  a  great  hurry  and 
wanted  the  horse  then. 

However  strangely  he  may  have  thought  of  my 
movements  then,  I  am  sure  that  when  he  reads  these 
pages  he  will  know  why  I  disturbed  him  at  that  un- 
usual hour  of  the  night.  He  furnished  me  with  a 
beautiful  nag.  With  an  old  gun-sling  and  canteen 
strap  I  rigged  up  a  sort  of  bridle,  mounted  the  horse, 
and  returned  to  my  rebel  escort. 

On  my  return,  I  was  in  ecstacies  of  delight  over 
"  my  captured  "  nag.  I  told  the  Captain  that  I  had 
got  it  from  a  Colonel,  and  that  I  found  it  not  twenty 
yards  from  his  quarters,  and  that  I  tried  to  obtain 


100  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

his  saddle,  bridle,  and  holsters,  hut  his  negro  was 
sleeping  with  his  head  on  the  saddle  and  I  could 
not  get  them  without  waking  him  up. 

The  men  were  all  highly  interested  with  the  nar- 
ration of  my  exploit,  and  not  only  conceded  that  I 
"  was  a  hrave  fellow,"  hut  "  that  I  had  got  a  splendid 
horse."  We  then  returned  to  Herse's  plantation,  and 
I  awoke  the  Colonel  to  show  him  my  prize.  He  was 
as  much  delighted  as  the  rest  had  heen. 

It  was  by  this  time  daylight,  and  we  started  for 
Cold  Water  ;  I  left  the  mule,  as  I  had  agreed  to  do, 
on  Mr.  Herse's  plantation.  On  our  way  back  we 
burned  considerable  cotton.  I  remained  a  few  days 
longer  at  Cold  Water,  and  then  accompanied  a  de- 
tachment to  Saulsbury  to  burn  cotton ;  from  there  I 
ran  away  and  returned  to  Bolivar.  My  mule  had 
been  brought  in  as  requested,  and  so  I  exchanged  my 
horse  for  it.  I  had  been  gone  in  all  thirty-five  days. 


SCOUT    AND    E?T.  101 


CHAPTER  X. 

Sent  to  Grand  Junction  to  capture  guerrillas — Suspicious  incident- 
Strategy  to  get  out  the  guerrillas — Orders  disobeyed — Tlio  rebel  flag — 
Tho  very  kind  socesh  lady — The  mistake — Out  of  the  frying-pan  into 
the  fire — Guerrillas  -watching  for  them — The  attack — The  prisoner — 
Tho  result  of  the  trip. 

A  TART  of  the  duties  assigned  me,  in  the  many 
trips  I  made  from  Bolivar,  was  to  hunt  up  guerrilla 
organizations,  learn  their  intended  movements,  and 
make  arrangements  for  their  capture.  During  my 
scouts,  I  had  learned  that  there  was  an  organized 
band  of  guerrillas  at  Grand  Junction.  On  reporting 
the  fact  to  General  Hoss,  he  requested  me  to  go  down 
and  ca'pture  them,  and  gave  me  for  that  purpose  a 
force  of  one  hundred  infantry,  under  command  of  a 
Captain,  and  forty  cavalry,  under  command  of  a  Lieu- 
tenant, with  instructions  to  the  officers  that  they 
should  obey  my  orders  in  whatever  plans  I  should 
choose  to  adopt.  I  was  also  furnished  with  a  train 
of  ten  four-horse  teams  and  wagons,  and  was  in- 
structed to  let  the  infantry  ride  out,  and,  on  my  re- 
turn, to  load  the  wagons  with  forage. 

It  was  about  sundown  when  the  detachment  moved 
out  from  Bolivar.  I  rode  about  one  hundred  yards 
in  advance,  then  came  the  cavalry,  and  in  the  rear 


102  THE   GREAT    AMERICAN 

the  train  bearing  the  infantry.  My  dress  on  this 
occasion  was  that  of  a  citizen. 

When  the  last  lingering  rays  of  daylight  had  dis- 
appeared, the  night  became  extremely  dark — so  dark 
that  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish  friend  from  foe 
by  the  powers  of  vision.  While  crossing  a  piece 
of  bottom  land,  with  a  forest  of  trees  on  each  side  of 
the  road  that  seemed  to  make  the  darkness  still 
more  impenetrable,  I  met  three  persons.  I  saluted 
them  with  a  "  Good-evening,"  and  inquired  of  them 
where  they  were  going,  and  was  told  that  they  were 
going  after  some  horses  that  had  strayed  away,  and 
that  they  wanted  to  go  on  to  Mr.  Dickens'  and  stay 
all  night,  and  resume  the  search  for  the  horses  in 
the  morning.  By  this  time  the  Lieutenant  of  the 
cavalry  came  up,  and,  on  further  inquiry,  found  that 
they  had  passes.  He  took  their  passes  to  examine, 
but  could  not  find  a  match  with  which  to  make  a 
light.  lie  then  concluded,  from  the  feeling  of  the 
paper,  that  they  were  our  passes,  and  allowed  them 
to  go  on.  When  they  passed  the  train,  the  infantry 
soldiers  were  sitting  down  in  the  bottom  of  the 
wagon-beds,  and  the  most  of  them  were  asleep,  and 
the  men,  in  passing,  probably  did  not  discover  any 
force  but  the  cavalry. 

When  within  three  miles  of  Grand  Junction,  we 
halted  and  waited  until  nearly  daylight,  and  then 
moved  on  to  within  a  mile  of  the  place.  There  I 
had  the  teams  turned  about,  facing  toward  Bolivar, 
and  gave  the  teamsters  instructions  to  remain  by 
their  teams,  and  if  we  were  driven  back,  to  pr.sh 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  103 

forward  to  Bolivar.  I  then  moved  the  cavalry  and 
infantry  forward  as  noiseless  as  possible  into  the  lane, 
within  half  a  mile  of  town,  and  instructed  the  officers 
to  remain  there  just  half  an  hour,  and,  if  I  did  not 
return,  to  make  a  dash  into  the  town,  fcr  they  might 
know  by  my  absence  that  I  was  captured. 

My  plan  was  to  leave  my  men  there,  and  ride  into 
town  myself  and  find  the  guerrillas,  and,  if  they  were 
not  concentrated,  to  find  their  leader  and  have  him 
get  out  his  men,  to  capture  a  small  squad  of  Lincoln 
cavalry  that  I  would  report  as  feeding  their  horses 
near  town,  and  while  he  would  be  getting  out  his 
men,  I  would  reconnoiter  to  see  if  they  were  still 
there,  tell  the  Federal  officers  where  to  place  their  men, 
and  then  go  back  and  act  as  guide  to  the  guerrillas- 

Having  given  all  the  instructions  that  I  thought 
were  necessary,  I  rode  on  into  town.  As  I  drew  up 
in  front  of  the  Percy  House,  the  doors  of  the  house 
were  being  opened,  and  "mine  host"  came  out. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"  said  I,  as  he  made  his  ap- 
pearance. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"  said  he,  eyeing  me  closely. 

"  Have  we  got  any  any  cavalry  here  ?  " 
-  "  No,  there  is  none  nigher  than  Davis  Creek,  three 
miles  from  here." 

"  Have  we  got  guerrillas  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  some.    Why,  what  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  Thar's  a  squad  of  Lincoln  cavalry  right  up  thar," 
said  I,  pointing  toward  my  own  men. 

"  Where  are  you  from  ?  "  he  inquired,  as  if  uncer- 
tain whether  I  was  right  or  not. 


104  THE  CHEAT  AMERICAN 

"  Oh,  Jam  all  right.  I  am  just  from  Memphis,  and, 
as  I  was  coining  in  this  morning,  I  saw  a  squad  of 
Lincoln  cavalry  feeding  their  horses,  and  I  would 
like  to  get  out  a  squad  of  our  men  and  go  and  cap- 
ture them." 

"  Well  I  don't  know  how  many  guerillas  there  is 
here ;  but  there  is  Captain  Robison,  who  keeps  the 
corner  grocery,  and  lives  across  the  street  as  you  go 
round  the  corner;  he  is  Captain  of  the  band,  and  ho 
can  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  Thank  you ;  "  and  I  started  off  to  find  him. 

When  I  got  round  the  corner,  I  saw  a  negro  com- 
ing from  a  house  that  I  took  to  be  the  Captain's ;  so 
I  waited  till  he  came  out  to  me.  I  learned  from  him 
that  it  was  the  Captain's  house,  and  that  he  was  at 
home.  Just  then  I  was  startled  by  the  tramp  of 
horses:  Knowing  that  it  was  not  time  for  my  men 
to  come  in,  I  very  naturally  supposed  that  it  was 
rebel  cavalry.  I  went  back  to  the  corner  to  sec  what 
it  was,  and  there  came  my  own  men,  the  cavalry  on 
a  gallop  and  the  infantry  on  a  double-quick.  Instead 
of  waiting  thirty  minutes,  Ihcy  had  only  waited  eight! 
I  was  vexed  to  have  my  plans,  through  disobedience 
cf  orders,  spoiled;  and  more  so,  because  I  had  learned 
from  experience  that  all  attempts  to  convict  a  guer- 
rilla after  he  was  captured  would  be  futile,  unless  he 
was  caught  with  arms  in  his  hands  fighting  against 
us.  Wit  lithe  oath  of  allegiance  in  their  pockets,  and 
the  use  of  their  oily  tongues,  they  invariably  managed 
to  get  released. 

Wo  then  arrested  Captain  Robison,  and  such  other 


SCOUT   AND   SPV.  105 

persons  as,  from  their  actions,  we  had  reason  to  be- 
lieve belonged  to  the  band. 

Captain  Robison  kept,  in  addition  to  the  grocery, 
a  billiard  saloon,  which  had  been  a  favorite  resort 
in  the  summer  for  the  Federal  officers,  while  the 
place  was  being  garrisoned  by  the  brigade  under 
command  of  General  Leggett.  One  day,  while  en- 
gaged in  playing  a  game  of  billards,  Lieut.  P.  M. 
Hitchcock,  regimental  Quartermaster  of  the  20th 
Ohio,  having  occasion  to  look  under  the  table  for 
something,  discovered,  fastened  up  underneath  the 
table,  a  large  rebel  flag,  which  he  captured  and 
carried  to  camp.  -,  The  flag  had  been  secreted  there 
when  the  Federal  troops  first  took  possession  of  the 
place,  and  the  officers  had  played  on  that  table  every 
day  for  weeks  without  having  discovered  it. 
'  Having  secured  our  prisoners,  we  proceeded  to 
make  the  citizens  of  the  place  furnish  breakfast  for 
the  detachment.  This  they  were  reluctant  to  do,  but 
finally  submitted.  "When,  all  had  been  supplied,  we 
returned  to  the  teams.  The  teamsters  had  not  fared 
so  well,  and,  as  soon  as  I  returned,  they  requested  me 
to  make  arrangements  for  their  breakfast.  I  told 
them  to  drive  on  and  I  would  do  so.  I  then  rode  on 
to  find  a  house  that  looked  as  if  its  occupants  had  a 
supply  sufficient  to  furnish  the  breakfast,  and  forage 
for  the  hoises  and  mules. 

About  four  miles  from  Grand  Junction,  I  came  to 
a  large  brick  house  on  the  right-hand  side,  a  short 
distance  f.om  the  road.  I  opened  the  gate,  entered 
the  yaid,  and  lode  up  toward  the  house,  and,  as  I 


106  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

drew  near  the  door,  an  elderly  lady  came  out,  whom 
I  addressed,  and  inquired  if  I  could  get  breakfast  there 
for  sixteen  men,  and  feed  for  a  hundred  and  fifty 
horses. 

Supposing  me  to  he  a  secesh  Colonel,  she  replied 
"  Well,  yes,  so  far  as  breakfast  for  the  men  is  con- 
cerned ;  but  really  Colonel,  about  the  corn,  I  don't 
know  as  I  have  got  enough  here  to  feed  so  many ; 
but  if  you  are  a  mind  to  be  to  the  trouble  to  send 
over  to  my  nigger  quarters,  about  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  from  here,  you  can  get  all  the  corn  you  want." 

"Thank  you,  madam.  I  will  ride  down  and  halt 
the  train,  and  send  the  men  up  for  their  break- 
fast." 

As  I  rode  away,  I  heard  her  order  the  negroes  to 
get  the  breakfast.  I  halted  the  train,  and  set  the 
negroes  (who  were  returning  with  us  fro  in  Grand  Junc- 
tion) to  cutting  up  corn  from  a  field  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road  for  the  teams.  The  infantry  soldiers 
immediately  began  to  scatter  about  the  plantation,  in 
search  of  horses  and  mules,  to  increase  the  number 
of  those  we  had  already  taken  at  Grand  Junction. 

The  thought  now  occurred  to  me  that  I  had  been 
supposed  by  the  lady  to  be  a  secesh  Colonel,  and  that 
as  soon  as  she  saw  the  blue  trousers,  the  getting  of 
breakfast  would  be  stopped ;  so  I  went  back  to  the 
house  to  see  about  it.  As  soon  as  I  came  up,  she 
met  me  at  the  door  and  commenced  to  complain, 

"  I  thought  that  it  was  our  cavalry  coming ;  I  was 
mistaken.  Instead,  I  find  it  is  nothing  but  a  par- 
cel of  confounded  Lincoln  jayhaivkers  /" 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  107 

"  We  are  all  liable  to  mistakes,  madam." 

VNo\y,  could  you,"  she  continued,  "demand  of  a 
poor  lone  widow,  like  I  am,  breakfast  for  sixteen  men 
and  feed  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  horses  ?" 

"  The  subject  has  changed  appearances  consid- 
erably since  I  was  here  before.  I'll  see  about  break- 
fast myself. 

I  dismounted  and  fastened  my  mule,  and  then 
went  to  a  wood-pile  and  procured  a  big  club,  and 
repaired  to  the  cook-house.  The  negroes  had  evi- 
dently commenced  to  get  things  ready  for  the  break- 
fast, but  had  been  stopped. 

"  What  are  you  about,  you  black,  woolly  scoun- 
drels!  Why  a' n't  you  cooking  breakfast?"  said  I, 
addressing  the  negroes. 

"  Missus  dun  tole  us  not  to  get  de  breckfust !  " 

'  Well,  you  go  right  to  work  and  get  the  breakfast, 
or  I'll  thrash  your  black  hides  for  you !  Start  right 
away!  "  At  that  I  made  for  them  with  my  club. 

"  Hole  en  !  hole  on,  massa !  we'll  dun  an'  get  the 
breckfust ! " 

They  all  sprang  to  work  in  good  earnest.  One  of 
the  negroes  told  me  that  the  woman  had  locked  up 
the  meat.  I  started  for  the  smoke-house  door,  with 
my  club,  to  break  it  in,  but  the  woman,  who  had 
been  watching  me,  followed  with  the  keys,  and,  when 
she  saw,  that  I  was*  about  to  force  my  way,  entreated 
me  to  let  her  unlock  the  door.  On  inquiry  of  the 
negroes,  I  found  that  she  had  butter  locked  up  in  a 
cupboard.  I  told  her  to  get  out  some  butter,  and  she 
declared  she  hadn't  got  a  bit  in  the  house.  I  walked 


108  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

toward  the  cupboard,  with  my  club  raised,  without 
saying  any  thing  further,  when  she  came  running  to 
the  cupboard,  with  the  keys  in  her  hand,  saying: 
"  Don't  break  it !  don't  break  it !  I'll  get  it  out !  I'll 
fret  it  out  for  you  !  Do  give  a  body  time  ! " 

By  dint  of  perseverance,  using  a  good  many  threats 
and  some  motions,  I  succeeded  in  having  the  break- 
fast made  ready ;  which,  having  been  accomplished, 
the  teamsters  were  called  in  to  enjoy  it.  While  the 
teamsters  were  eating,  a  squad  of  soldiers  came 
through  the  yard,  with  about  thirty  geese  that  they 
had  confiscated.  The  lady  saw  them,  and  came  to 
me  to  plead  for  them. 

"  Now,  don't  let  the  men  take  those  geese;  dorit! 
they  are  great  favorites  of  mine  and,  I  hate  to  part 
with  them  ! " 

I  had  noticed,  a  few  minutes  before,  a  large,  close 
pen  in  one  corner  of  the  yard,  filled  with  nice,  fat 
turkeys,  which  one  of  the  darkeys  had  told  me  were 
being  fatted  to  send  to  the  rebel  officers.  The  boys 
liad  not  yet  discovered  them. 

"  Boys,  put  down  those  geese ;  do'nt  be  packing 
geese  from  here  to  Bolivar  !  Throw  them  down  !  " 

"  Why,  Bunker !  "  they  exclaimed,  "  you  said  we 
might  get  any  thing  that  we  wanted  !  " 

"  Throw  them  down  !  " 

Down  they  went. 

"Now,  if  you  want  any  thing  of  the  feathered  tribe, 
pitch  into  those  turkeys  in  that  pen  yonder,"  said  I, 
pointing  to  it. 

Away  the  boys  went,  a-flying. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  100 

"  Good  Lord!  Now  don't!  don't  get  those  turkeys! 
I'd  rather  you  had  took  every  goose  on  the  place!" 

"  You  are  in  a  had  fix  now,  a' n't  you  ?  "  said  I. 
"  Right  out  of  the  frying  pan  into  the  fire !  " 

Just  then  a  little  colored  girl  came  running  in, 
and  said : 

"  Missis,  de  Yankees  dim  got  Lucy!" 

"Where?"  inquired  the   lady. 

"  Ptight  out  dat  ar  way,"  said  the  girl,  pointing 
in  the  direction. 

"  Well  now  I  declare  !  Do  n't  take  that  riding  nag 
away  from  me,  a  poor  lone  widow,  as  I  am  ;  don't  ! 
Have  a  little  mercy  on  me  ;  do  /" 

"Yes!"  said  I,  "you  are  a  mighty  poor  ividow  ! 
worth  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  paying  an 
overseer  a  thousand  dollars  a  year ;  and  your  hus- 
hand  a  Colonel  in  the  Confederate  army  you  are  a 
mighty  poor  widow  !  Soldiers,  fetch  that  mare  back 
and  let  the  widow  keep  her,  she  is  not  worth  riding 
to  Bolivar 

As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over,  we  again  moved 
on.  When  within  two  miles  of  Van  Buren,  near 
where  the  road  branches  cff  to  Whitesville,  a  little 
incident  occurred  to  attract  our  attention.  As  I  was 
riding  along,  in  advance  of  the  detachment,  I  saw  a 
negro  coming  up  the  road  toward  me,  with  his  hat  in 
his  hand,  and  running  as  fast  as  he  could,  and  appear- 
ing to  be  wonderfully  excited  about  something. 

"What's  up?"  said  I,  as  I  met  him. 

"  Thar's  a  heap  ob  de  secesh  cavalry  down  by 
Massa's  house,  and  dey  gwine  to  git  you  all !" 


HO  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

Here,  then,  was  something  to  do.  I  was  well  ac- 
quainted  with  the  features  of  the  country  all  about 
there,  and  I  knew  where  they  would  most  likely  be 
posted,  and  which  way  they  would  retreat  if  we  were 
too  much  for  them.  I  was  also  well  satisfied  that 
the  enemy  consisted  of  Hall's  guerrillas,  from  Sauls- 
bury,  and  that  the  men  that  we  had  met  on  our  way 
down  belonged  to  them,  and,  instead  of  going  to  Mr. 
Dickens'  to  stay  all  night,  had  gone  down  to  Sauls- 
bury  and  got  out  the  band  to  capture  our  train, 
not  knowing  that  we  had  any  infantry  force  along. 

I  sent  the  Captain  with  fifty  men,  to  the  right, 
to  get  to  their  flank  in  a  piece  of  woods,  where  I 
was  sure  they  would  attempt  to  escape  if  we  over- 
powered them.  The  Captain  had  a  corn-field  to 
cross,  in  reaching  the  weeds,  that  would  cover  his 
men  from  view.  I  was  to  watch  from  the  top  of  the 
fence,  and  see  the  Captain  deploy  his  men  in  the 
woods,  before  ordering  an  attack  in  front. 

I  watched  until  I  knew  thai  the  Captain  had  time 
to  reach  the  woods ;  but,  for  some  reason,  he  did  not 
make  his  appearance.  I  waited  as  long  as  I  thought 
it  would  do,  and  then,  leaving  ten  men  to  guard  the 
prisoners,  I  ordered  the  cavalry  to  charge,  supported 
by  the  balance  of  the  infantry. 

As  we  dashed  over  the  hill  toward  the  house,  a 
man  which  proved  to  bo  Captain  Richardson,  was 
seen  on  the  top  of  a  large  gate-post,  watching  our  ap- 
proach About  thirty  feet  from  him  in  'the  yard 
Btood  a  splendid  mule  with  a  new  saddle.  He  gave 
a  look  at  the  mule  and  then  at  us,  and  then  broke 


SCOUT   AND   SPY  111 

for  the  corn-field  on  foot,  leaving  his  mule  and  equip- 
ments. The  three  men  whom  we  met  in  the  dark, 
and  whose  passes  had  been  approved  by  the  sense  of 
feeling,  had  reported  to  Hall's  guerrillas  at  Saulsbury, 
and  Captain  Richardson  had  volunteered  to  join  the 
expedition  to  capture  us.  Evidently  the  full  amount 
of  our  force  had  not  been  represented  to  them  and 
they  had  not  looked  for  a  charge.  As  soon  as  the 
guerrillas  discovered  that  we  were  charging  on  them, 
they  fled  to  the  woods  where  I  had  ordered  the  Cap- 
tain to  deploy  his  men,  and  they  all  escaped  but 
one.  The  Captain  had  halted  his  men  in  the  corn- 
field, and  did  not  take  them  into  the  woods  ;  had  he 
done  so,  we  might  have  captured  the  whole  band, 
numbering,  in  all,  thirty  men. 

The  prisoner  that  we  captured  declared  that  he 
was  no  guerrilla,  but  a  citizen ;  he  told  me  that  he 
lived  in  Memphis.  At  Van  Buren,  Mrs.  Moore  told 
me  that  she  knew  him,  and  that  he  was  one  of  their 
nearest  neighbors,  and  one  of  the  finest  men  living  in 
the  county.  At  Mr.  Marshall's  we  found  a  collection  of 
neighbors,  engaged  in  burying  a  child  near  the  road- 
side. Mrs.  Marshall,  whom  I  saw  there,  told  me.  that 
she  knew  him,  and  that  he  lived  in  Tupelo,  Mississippi, 
and  that  he  and  his  wife  were  out  there  on  a  visit,  and 
that  his  wife  was  present  somewhere  in  the  gathering. 

Just  then  the  wife  saw  her  husband,  a  prisoner, 
and  begged  of  the  'Lieutenant  to  let  him  go  ;  "  for," 
said  she,  "  I  know  that  he  will  never  take  the  oath, 
and  they  will  hang  him,  sure,  and  I  shall  never,  never 
see  him  again  in  this  world  !  " 


112  THE   GREAT    AMERICAN 

The  Lieutenant  passed  on  with  his  prisoner,  and  I 
remained  behind  until  after  the  detachment  had  all 
passed,  when  I  moved  on.  Before  overtaking  them, 
I  met  the  prisoner,  coining  back,  with  a  written  state- 
ment, signed  by  the  Lieutenant,  that  he  had  been 
released.  Before  reaching  Bolivar,  the  wagons  were 
loaded  with  forage.  Aside  from  the  forage,  mules, 
and  contrabands  that  we  gathered,  the  expedition 
was  a  failure. 

The  men  we  arrested  at  Grand  Junction  all  man- 
aged to  get  released.  I  felt  mortified  at  the  result, 
because  I  felt  sure  that,  if  my  plans  had  been  carried 
out,  we  might  have  made  a  brilliant  little  affair  of  it. 
General  Ross  reprimanded  the  officers  severely  for 
not  having  obeyed  my  instructions. 

The  reader  can  see  by  the  foregoing  what  might 
have  been  done  on  that  expedition ;  yet  it  was  a 
failure,  because  the  parties  concerned  neglected  to 
obey  orders.  It  is  a  parallel  case,  on  a  small  scale, 
to  numerous  others  of  greater  magnitude,  in  the  pro- 
secution of  the  war. 

Captain  Richardson,  who  made  his  escape  in  the 
corn-field,  has  since  been  made  a  Colonel  of  a  rebel 
regiment,  raised  near  Lafayette,  Tenn.  During  the 
winter  following  we  again  met  Col.  Richardson  in  a 
skirmish  near  Lafayette,  Tenn.,  and  captured  him 
and  the  most  of  his  command. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  113 


CHAPTER  XL 

Sent  to  Lagrangc —  Observes  two  cavalrymen  —  Arrival  at  Lagrango — 
Waits  for  the  cavalry  —  Accompanies  them  out  —  Takes  his  departure 
— Is  pursued — Evades  the  pursuit  —  Finds  himself  cornered  —  Crosses 
the  Cypress  Swamp  —  Eobbed  by  outlaws  —  Disloyal  citizen — The-  fate 
of  the  robbers. 

NOT  long  after  my  return  from  running  with  the 
2d  Arkansas  Cavalry,  General  Ross  requested  mo  to 
make  a  general  reconnoisance  of  the  country  along 
the  railroad  as  far  as  Lagrange,  and  to  examine  care- 
fully the  trestle-work  and  brides  of  the  railroad,  and 
to  watch  for  any  movement  that  might  he  intended 
as  an  attack  on  the  post  or  a  raid  upon  the  railroad. 

I  went  out,  disguised  as  a  citizen,  mounted  on  a 
mule.  Ten  miles  from  Bolivar  I  stopped  at  Mr.  Mar- 
shall's, were  I  spent  an  hour  or  more  in  conversation 
with  the  members  of  the  family.  Mr.  Marshall  was 
absent  in.  the  hospital,  he  having  been  wounded  in 
the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  had  not  yet  sufficiently  re- 
covered to  enable  him  to  get  home. 

While  there,  Miss  Juliet  Armstrong  came  in,  u 
sister  of  the  Confederate  General  Armstrong.  Mrs. 
Marshal  introduced  me  to  her,  not  knowing  that  we 
were  acquainted.  She  appeared  very  hopeful  of  the 
Southern  cause.  She  did  not  evade  the  fact  of  the 
8 


114  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

gloom  and  darkness  that  seemed  to  envelope  the 
South,  but  spoke  cheerful  and  hopeful  of  the  result. 
She  inquired  if  I  had  any  late  news  from  "owr  "  forces, 
and  I,  in  turn,  gained  as  much  general  information 
of  Southern  matters  as  I  could. 

When  passing  myself  as  a  citizen  of  the  South,  I 
have  always  found  the  people  affahle  in  their  man- 
ners, sociable  and  extremely  liberal  in  their  hospita- 
lity. Whenever  an  occasion  was  offered  them  of  ren- 
dering any  assistance  which  they  supposed  was  fur- 
thering the  cause  they  had  espoused,  their  kindness 
and  generosity  knew  no  bound. 

Two  miles  further  on  is  the  residence  of  Captain 
Rose,  to  whom  I  paid  a  visit.  Captain  Rose  had 
served  in  the  United  States  army  eleven  years,  and 
is  one  of  your  genuine  Union  men,  and  has  always 
been  loyal  to  the  Government.  I  have  visited  him 
frequently  since,  and  was  always  made  welcome.  I 
did  not  disguise  the  fact  that  I  belonged  to  the  Fe- 
deral army,  and  have  several  times  received  from  him 
valuable  information.  It  was  of  rare  occurrence  that 
I  found  among  the  citizens  of  that  locality  such 
genuine  sentiments  of  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the 
Federal  Government  as  I  found  in  Captain  Rose. 

I  moved  on  leisurely,  examining  the  railroad  as  I 
went,  but  saw  nothing  worthy  of  attention  after  I  left 
Captain  Rose  until  two  miles  West  of  VanBuren,  where 
the  road  from  Whitesville  comes  in.  As  I  came  near 
that  place,  I  saw  two  rebel  cavalrymen,  who  had 
been  coming  up  the  Grand  Junction  road,  turn  ofj 
toward  Whitesville. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  115 

"  Halloo,  boys ! "  said  I,  hailing-  them,  "  stop  a 
minute;  I  want  to  see  you." 

"  We  havn't  time  to  stop,"  answered  one ;  "  our 
company  has  gone  on  to  Whites ville,  and  we  want 
to  overtake  it." 

They  dashed  ahead  without  stopping.  Their  re- 
ply,  however,  answered  my  purpose.  "  A  company 
of  cavalry  had  gone  to  Whitesville,"  and  it  remained 
for  mo  to  find  out  what  it  had  gone  for.  The  two 
men  were  without  luggage,  from  which  I  concluded 
they  would  return  the  next  day  ;  and,  knowing  that 
the  rebel  forces  were  principally  at  Lumpkins'  Mills' 
it  seemed  probable  that  when  the  company  returned 
it  would  pass  through  Lagrange,  so  I  resolved  to  go 
on  to  Lagrange  that  night.  It  was  then  nearly 
dark. 

I  arrived  at  Lagrange  about  11  o'clock  at  night, 
and  halted  at  the  depot.  It  was  very  dark,  and 
every  body  had  retired  for  the  night,  and,  not  liking 
to  blunder  about  the  place  for  lodging,  lest  I  might 
encounter  some  rebel  cavalry,  I  lay  down  upon  the 
depot  platform,  with  my  bridle  over  my  arm,  ready 
to  spring  up  at  the  slightest  alarm,  and  went  to 
sleep. 

In  the  morning  I  repaired  to  a  house  of  entertain- 
ment, kept  by  a  Mr.  Lee,  and  procured  some  break- 
fast for  myself  and  feed  for  my  mule.  There  I 
waited  for  the  return  of  the  cavalry.  About  1  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  they  came  in  and  halted  to  feed. 

I  did  not  think  that  it  was  prudent  to  mingle  with 
the  cavalry  while  they  remained  in  town,  so  I  had 


110  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

my  mule  got  ready,  and  remained  at  the  public 
house  until  the  cavalry  commenced  to  move  out, 
when  I  mounted  and  moved  out  on  the  same  road 
in  their  rear,  and,  at  a  short  distance  from  town,  I 
came  up  with  them.  I  rode  along  in  company  with 
them,  as  if  I  were  a  citizen  returning  to  my  home 
from  town. 

I  asked  the  boys  how  they  liked  soldiering,  and 
whether  they  had  ever  been  in  any  lights,  and  what 
regiment  they  belonged  to,  and  various  other  ques- 
tions, such  as  I  supposed  a  citizen  would  naturally 
ask ;  and,  finally,  I  inquired  where  they  had  been, 
and  was  told  that  they  had  been  to  Whitesville,  on 
a  scout,  to  see  whether  the  Yankees  had  been  com- 
mitting any  depredations  on  the  property  of  the  citi- 
zens. In  that  manner  I  kept  up  my  conversation 
until  we  were  within  three  miles  of  the  Cold  Water, 
without  having  excited  any  suspicion  but  what  I 
was  all  right. 

I  had  gone  as  far  as  I  cared  about,  and  began  to 
think  up  some  plan  by  which  I  could  make  my  exit 
from  their  company  without  exciting  suspicion.  To 
accomplish  my  objeqt,  I  gradually  fell  back  to  the 
rear,  and  the  first  rise  of  ground  that  the  cavalry 
went  over,  that  was  large  euough  to  hide  me,  from 
view  until  I  could  get  a  good  start  on  my  way  back, 
I  turned  about  and  left  them. 

I  moved  along  on  a  good  fast  trot,  occasionally 
looking  back  to  see  if  I  was  pursued.  I  had  made 
about  four  miles,  when  on  looking  back,  I  saw  a 
squad  of  about  fifteen  cavalry  in  full  chase  after 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  117 

me.  My  sudden  departure  had  excited  their  suspi- 
cions. I  put  the  spurs  to  my  mule  and  dashed  ahead 
at  the  top  of  its  speed.  My  pursuers  gained  on  me. 
I  urged  my  mule  still  harder,  and  still  they  con- 
tinued to  gain.  My  situation  seemed  a  hopeless  one. 
I  could  not  outstrip  them  in  the  chase,  and  they  were 
rapidly  gaining  on  me.  If  captured,  my  flight  under 
the  circumstances  would  be  conclusive  evidence 
against  me.  Still,  on  I  pressed,  the  distance  between 
myself  and  pursuers  growing  rapidly  less.  My  mule, 
too,  was  becoming  exhausted,  and  my  pursuers  wero 
within  five  hundred  yards  of  me.  I  had  come  full 
three  miles  since  I  saw  them  giving  chase.  Passing 
a  bend  in  the  road,  with  a  growth  of  small  trees  and 
brush  along  the  fence  that  hid  me  from  view,  I  came 
to  a  gap  in  the  fence,  through  which  I  passed  into  a 
field.  The  field  was  covered  with  stubble  and  tall 
weeds.  I  dashed  ahead  at  right  angles  with  the  road 
for  about  two  hundred  yards,  when  I  came  to  where 
an  old  house  once  stood.  I  found  here  an  old  cistern 
which  had  caved  in,  and  tall  weeds  were  growing 
round  it.  I  dismounted  and  led  my  mule  down  into 
this  hole  and  we  were  completely  hid  from  view.  In 
a  few  moments  I  heard  the  tramp  of  horses  as  my 
pursuers  passed  on. 

I  had  despaired  of  making  my  escape,  but  as  my 
pursuers  passed  by,  hope  began  to  revive.  It  was 
then  about  sundown.  I  waited  there  until  dark,  and 
then  mounted  my  mule  and  started  on.  I  knew  that 
they  would  soon  return,  and  I  must  manage  so  as 
not  to  be  seen.  When  I  arrived  at  the  place  where 


118  THE   GREAT    AMERICAN 

the  road  turns  off  to  the  right,  that  goes  to  Davis' 
Mills,  I  turned  to  the  left  into  the  edge  of  a  piece 
of  woods  where  I  could  see  without  being  seen,  and 
halted. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  my  pursuers  approach- 
ing, who,  when  they  came  to  the  corners,  took  the 
road  to  Davis'  Mills.  I  remained  under  cover  of 
the  woods  until  I  thought  all  stragglers  of  the  party, 
if  there  should  be  any,  had  passed,  and  then  went 
on,  watching  carefully  as  I  went. 

As  I  was  riding  along,  the  thought  occurred  to  me 
that  perhaps,  my  pursuers  might  have  mistrusted 
that  I  had  turned  out  into  the  field  to  evade  them, 
and  had  placed  a  picket  on  the  bridge  across  Wolf 
River,  near  Lagrange,  to  capture  me  if  I  attempted 
to  cross.  I  rode  on  to  within  two  hundred  yards 
of  the  bridge,  and  there  I  left  my  mule  and  went 
forward  to  reconnoiter.  When  within  a  few  paces 
of  the  bridge  I  stopped  and  listened,  but  did  not 
hear  any  thing.  I  moved  a  few  feet  further,  and  then 
I  thought  I  heard  a  footstep.  I  crept  up  still  closer, 
and  peered  forward  in  the  black  distance,  and  there 
I  could  see,  on  the  bridge,  the  form  of  a  man.  I 
watched  and  he  moved.  There  was  no  mistake 
about  it !  My  fears  were  realized  !  The  picket  was 
there ! 

The  glimmerings  of  hope  that  had  lightened  me 
up  as  my  pursuers  passed  me  now  vanished.  I  was 
completely  cornered.  The  only  bridge  besides  that 
one  was  on  the  Davis  Mills  road,  and  my  pursuers 
were  on  that  road.  Between  the  two  bridges  was 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  119 

an  extensive  cypress  swamp,  and  below  the  bridge 
that  I  was  at  was  another  swamp  still  worse. 
The  only  possible  way  that  I  could  see  to  evade 
my  pursuers  was  to  cross  the  swamp  between 
the  two  bridges.  To  think  of  the  undertaking 
was  horrible ! 

I  crept  cautiously  back  to  my  mule,  mounted,  and 
rode  through  a  dense  growth  of  brush  to  my  left 
until  I  reached  the  edge  of  the  swamp,  where  I 
halted.  To  undertake  to  cross  in  daylight  would  be 
hazardous,  and  in  the  dark  utterly  impossible ;  so  I 
concluded  to  wait  until  morning  before  making  the 
attempt.  I  laid  down  upon  the  ground,  with  my 
bridle  over  my  arm,  with  the  venomous  insects  and 
serpents  as  my  companions,  and  the  intervening  brush 
over  my  head  and  the  broad  canopy  of  heaven,  cur- 
tained with  black  clouds,  my  only  covering.  Such 
surroundings  are  not  very  conducive  to  sleep,  but 
exhausted  nature  soon  yielded,  and  I  slept,  and  slept 
soundly — so  soundly  that  when  I  awoke  in  the  morn- 
ing the  sun  was  two  hours  high. 

The  mule,  to  satisfy  its  hunger,  had  eaten  the 
leaves  from  the  bushes,  around  where  I  lay,  as  far  as 
it  could  reach,  and  yet  it  had  neither  pulled  away 
from  me  nor  disturbed  my  slumbers,  but  had  been 
as  careful  of  me  and  manifested  as  much  attachment 
for  me  as  a  faithful  dog  would  for  his  master. 

The  mule  had  been  presented  to  me  by  General 
Ross  and  had  been  a  common  sharer  with  me  in  the 
exposures  and  dangers  that  I  had  experienced,  and 
had  borne  mo  safely  thus  far,  and  was,  perhaps,  to 


120  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

be  the  only  friendly  companion  to  witness  the  end  that 
would  befall  me. 

I  had  not  tasted  a  mouthful  of  food  since  I  had 
eaten  my  breakfast,  at  the  public  house,  the  morning 
before,  and  I  was  not  in  a  very  fit  state  of  body  or 
mind  to  accomplish  such  an  undertaking  as  was  then 
before  me.  The  tug-  of  war  had  conic,  however,  and 
the  Rubicon  had  to  be  crossed. 

Leading  my  mule  by  the  bridle,  I  started  in,  some- 
times at  midsides  in  mire  and  water,  and  then  on 
top  of  a  bog  or  root,  and  then — splash  into  the  water 
again,  stopping  occasionally  to  drive  away  the  pois- 
onous water-snakes  which  infest  these  swamps.  On 
I  went,  clambering,  wallowing,  splashing,  and 
plunging!  As  all  things  earthly  have  an  end,  so 
had  that  swamp ;  and,  in  spite  of  venomous  mocca- 
sins, tangled  brush,  cypress  trees,  mire  and  water,  I 
reached  the  river,  which  we  forded. 

Myself  and  mule  were  frightful  looking  objects, 
from  the  mire  we  had  wallowed  through,  and,  before 
going  any  further,  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  clean 
off  the  mule  to  prevent  suspicion.  Several  hours 
were  spent  in  cleaning  and  drying  before  I  felt  safe 
to  venture  out. 

As  soon  as  I  thought  prudent,  I  mounted  my  mule 
and  rode  on  across  the  country.  I  passed  to  the  east 
of  Lagrange,in  sight  of  town,  keeping  a  sharp  look-out 
for  cavalry.  When  I  reached  the  Memphis  and  Co- 
rinth stage  road,  I  took  my  course  toward  Bolivar. 

When  about  two  miles  from  Grand  Junction,  I 
saw  approaching  me  from  the  east,  and  a  long  way 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  121 

anead,  three  persons  on  horseback.  I  resolved  to 
face  the  music  this  time,  let  come  what  would.  My 
recent  experience  at  running  had  satisfied  me.  As 
they  came  nearer,  I  saw  that  they  were  dressed  like 
citizens,  which  very  much  relieved  my  anxiety. 

One  of  them  was  a  very  large  man,  of  roughly 
defined  outline,  with  light  hair  and  a  red  face  ;  the 
second  was  a  medium-sized  man,  of  fair  appearance, 
and  the  third  was  a  little  man,  with  small,  round 
face,  black  hair,  and  sharp,  black  eyes.  Their  cloth- 
ing was  made  of  homespun  cloth.  As  they  met  me, 
two  came  up  on  one  side  and  one  on  the  other,  and 
halted  ;  so  I  halted. 

"  Good  afternoon,  stranger !  "  said  the  big  man,  as 
we  halted. 

"  Good  afternoon,  gentlemen  !  "  I  replied. 

"  That's  a  fine  mule  you  are  riding,"  continued 
the  big  man. 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  tolerably  good  one." 

"  Well,  mister,  we  want  that  mule,  and  we  are 
going  to  have  it.  Get  off  from  that  mule  said  the 
big  man.  Each  of  them,  at  the  same  time,  drew  out 
a  derringer  and  pointed  it  at  me. 

"  You  are  the  strongest  party,"  said  I,  "  and  I 
suppose  that  you  must  have  it." 

I  dismounted,  and,  at  the  same  time,  two  of  them 
dismounted,  and  the  big  man  took  possession  of  the 
mule.  It  was  like  parting  with  a  last  friend  to  give 
up  my  favorite. 

"  Have  you  got  any  money  ?  "  said  the  little  man, 
coining  up  and  thrusting  his  hands  into  my  pockets. 


122  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

He  took  out  every  thing  that  I  had  in  them,  and 
then,  casting  his  eyes  toward  my  feet,  said:  "  You 
have  got  a  good  pair  of  hoots  there  ;  we  want  them." 

"  Strangers,"  said,  I,  "  that's  going  a  little  too  far. 
You  have  got  my  mule  and  got  my  money,  and  now 
to  take  my  hoots  and  leave  me  to  walk  twenty  miles 
to  my  home  harefooted  is  too  much.  You  can't  have 
them,  unless  you  take  them  off  from  my  dead  bod?/. 

"That  is  a  little  too  hard,''  said  the  hig  man; 
"you  may  keep  your  hoots.'' 

They  then  mounted  and  rode  away,  leading  my 
mule  with  them,  in  the  direction  from  which  they 
came,  and  I  followed  behind  them,  on  foot.  It  is  not 
often  that  I  pray,  but  then  I  prayed.  My  prayer 
was,  "that  the  llth  Illinois  Cavalry  ivould  come 
clashing  down  on  the  road  from  Bolivar,  and  capture 
the  lawless  villains  that  had  robbed  me  of  my  mule 
and  my  money.'' 

Hungry  and  fatigued,  with  twenty  miles  to  travel 
on  foot,  and  that,  too,  upon  the  top  of  my  misfor- 
tunes of  the  night  before,  made  me  anything  but 
good-natured,  and  I  muttered  vengeance  to  the  rob- 
bers that  had  taken  my  favorite,  if  ever  an  opportu- 
nity occurred. 

When  I  reached  the  house  of  old  Mr.  Pruett,  hunger 
impelled  me  to  stop.  I  found  the  people  absent, 
except  a  daughter  and  a  young  lady  from  a  neigh- 
boring family,  that  had  called  in.  I  found  them 
obliging  and  sociable,  and  in  a  lew  minutes  tll'eir 
fair  hands,  secesh  as  they  were,  had  spread  for  me 
a  bountiful  repast,  much  to  the  delight  of  my  raven- 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  123 

ous  appetite.  I  told  the  ladies  that  I  had  been 
robbed  of  my  mule  and  money,  and  described  to 
them  the  villains  that  had  done  it.  The  lady  that 
had  called  in  said  that  they  answered  the  description 
of  three  outlaws  that  had  robbed  her  uncle,  a  few 
days  before,  of  $3,000  in '  gold,  that  he  had  just 
received  for  his  cotton,  and  then  beat  him  on  the 
head  with  their  derringers,  until  they  supposed  ho 
was  dead,  for  having  sold  his  cotton  to  the  Yankees. 
She  also  said  that  they  were  supposed  to  live  near 
Riplcy,  Miss. 

Having  satisfied  my  hunger,  I  resumed  my  walk 
toward  Bolivar.  When  I  came  to  the  railroad  crossing, 
I  followed  the  railroad.  I  was  too  tired  to  make  ra- 
pid progress,  and  made  frequent  stops  to  rest  myself. 
When  I  arrived  at  Middlcburg  it  was  between  9  and 
10  o'clock  at  night.  As  I  was  about  passing  a  well 
near  the  depot  platform,  I  saw  a  person  drawing  a, 
bucket  of  water.  Being  thirsty,  I  stopped  and  asked 
for  a  drink.  I  recognized  the  man  as  the  merchant 
that  kept  the  brick  store  near  by  ;  he,  however,  did 
not  know  me.  He  handed  me  a  drink,  and  when  I 
returned  him  the  cup,  he  inquired  if  I  had  any  news. 
I  told  him  there  was  no  news. 

"  Have  you  got  a  Southern  paper  ?  " 

"No,  sir." 

"  I  would  give  ten  dollars  for  a  Southern  paper,  I 
feel  anxious  to  hear  from  Baton  Rouge." 

"I  have  no  paper  and  no  news  from  Baton  Rouge." 

"  Where  are  you  from  ?  " 

"  Holly  Springs." 


124  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

"You  from  Holly  Springs,  and  ha' n't  got  any 
news ! " 

"Look  'e  here,  mister,  you  are  a  stranger  to  me; 
I  do'nt  know  who  you  are." 

"  Oh !  I  am  all  right !  " 

"  Well,  I  do'nt  know  you.  I  am  sent  up  here  on 
special  "business,"  said  I,  in  a  confidential  way. 

11  Oh!  that's  it,  is  it?  I  didn't  know  that!"  Then, 
patting  me  on  the  shoulder,  he  said,  "  Go  on !  that's 
right!  I  hope  you  will  have  good  luck  and  get 
through." 

Before  daylight  next  morning  I  was  once  more  in 
camp  at  Bolivar. 

The  next  January,  as  the  army  was  on  its  way 
hack  from  its  campaign  in  Mississippi,  while  riding 
along  in  advance  of  the  infantry,  I  came  across  my 
favorite  mule.  It  was  in  company  K,  of  the  7th 
Kansas  Cavalry.  I  went  to  Captain  Bostwick,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  company,  and  told  him  that 
he  had  my  mule,  and  how  I  came  by  it  and  how  I 
lost  it,  and  also  described  the  men  that  took  it  away 
from  me.  The  Captain  returned  me  the  mule,  and 
told  rne  that,  while  making  a  raid  near  Ripley,  Mis- 
sissippi, during  the  fall,  he  had  captured  three  men 
of  the  description  I  had  given,  and  with  tKcrn  eigh- 
teen mules,  including  mine,  and  that  the  men  had 
been  sent  to  Alton,  111.,  as  guerrillas;  so  I  never  had 
an  opportunity  of  retaliating  on  them  for  their  outrage 
to  me.  I  am  fully  convinced  that  they  were  profes- 
sional robbers,  and  belonged  to  neither  army. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Starts  to  find  General  Bragg's  forces — "Wools"  the  secesh  farmer — Re- 
ceives a  bottle  of  ram — Guerrillas  washing  stockings — Finds  Bragg's 
advance — Recognized  as  a  Yankee  spy — Ordered  off  his  mule  to  be 
shot — The  clamor  of  the  crowd — Recognized  as  a  Confederate  spy — 
Rebel  surgeon  vouches  for  him — Is  released — Gray-headed'rebel  brought 
to  justice — The  Sutler  of  the  2d  Arkansas  Cavalry  a  prisoner — What 
became  of  the  guerrillas  that  were  washing  stockings. 

ON  one  occasion  Gen.  Ptoss  instructed  me  to  go  out 
on  the  Somerville  road  and  see  if  I  could  find  any  of 
Daniels'  guerrillas. 

"  Every  time,"  said  he,  "  that  I  send  out  a  forage 
party  they  will  bushwhack  them.  Now  go  out  twelve 
miles,  and  if  you  find  them  don't  bring  on  an  en- 
gagement, but  come  back  and  report,  and  I  will  send 
out  the  2d  Illinois  Cavalry  and  try  and  capture  the 
lawless  villians." 

I  took  with  me  twenty  men  armed  with  Spencer 
rifles.  We  went  out  12  miles  and  had  returned  within 
four  miles  of  camp  without  seeing  a  guerrilla. 

Said  the  boys,  "let  us  go  down  and  get  some  sup- 
per at  old  man  Woods'." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  let  us  go  respectfully,"  so  we 
marched  down  in  two  ranks,  right  face,  at  a  right 
shoulder  shift  arms,  and  halting  in  front  of  the  house, 
I  said,  "good  evening  Mr.  Woods." 


126  THE   GBEAT   AMERICAN 

"  Good  evening!  "  said  he. 

"  Now  said  I,  Mr.  Woods,  I  know  you  are  a  good 
Union  man,  wouldn't  you  like  to  bestow  a  little  hos- 
pitality on  a  few  Federal  soldiers  ?  " 

"  Oh !  if  you  insist  upon  it.  I  know  if  you  say 
supper,  it  must  come !  I'm  pretty  well  drilled." 

We  ate  supper  and  I  offered  to  pay  in  Confederate 
money.  "No!  I  don't  want  it!  I  don't  want  any  Con- 
federate money!"  "Good  evening,"  said  I,  "we  must 
be  going." 

When  we  were  about  twenity  rods  from  the  house 
I  saw  a  little  negro  boy  on  a  run,  hat  in  hand.  I 
halted  my  men  and  says  to  the  darkey,  "  My  littlo 
man,  what's  the  matter?  Where  have  you  been?" 

"  Ole  massa  Woods  tole  me  to  go  out  into  cotton 
patch  and  tell  the  overseer  to  tell  young  Massa  Woods 
there  was  a  whole  lot  of  Lincoln  scouts  at  his  house." 

"Now,  boys,"  said  I,  "we'll  find  them  directly." 
We  started  on  quick  time,  when  the  boys  says,  "Gen- 
eral, what's  your  hurry  ?  " 

"  My  instruction  from  General  Ross  is  not  to  bring 
on  any  engagement.  They  will  be  on  us  in  a  few 
minutes."  , 

"  Let  them  come,"  said  the  boys,  "we're  ready  for 
them ! " 

"Well,"  said  I,  "boys!  If  you  want  to  fight  and  will 
stand  up  to  the  work,  I'll  stay  out  with  you." 

"Well,  General,  let's  have  a  brush  with  them!  " 

"  Come  on,"  says  I,  "  let  us  get  into  that  square 

patch  of  woods,  and  wait  till  they  come."     There 

were  about  five  acres  with  cleared  fields  all  around  it. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY. 


127 


I  sent  out  two  men  as  decoys  on  the  North  and  South 
West.  In  about  20  minutes  we  saw  them  coming. 
I  called  in  my  decoys  and  we  all  hid  in  the  woods. 

Daniels  with  his  sixty  guerrillas  formed  a  triangle, 
twenty  men  on  each  side,  between  us  and  camp, 
lie  then  sent  a  man  with  a  flag  of  truce.  It  consisted 
of  a  handkerchief  tied  to  a  stick.  I  stepped  out  of 
the  woods,  and  asked  what  he  wanted.  He  said, 
Lieut.  D.  demanded  a  surrender  of  the  woods  without 
firing  a  shot,  and  if  we  did  not,  he  would  murder 
every  one  of  us.  I  told  him  to  tell  Daniels,  if  he 
wanted  the  woods  to  come  up  and  get  them. 

In  a  few  minutes  we  heard  him  give  the  command 
forward ! 

The  boys  were  now  eager  for  a  shot.  Said  I,  "Keep 
cool,  keep  cool,  boys,  and  don't  shoot  tilt  I  have,  and 
pick  out  your  man,  but  don't  all  shoot  at  Daniels ! n 
When  within  twenty  feet  of  the  woods,  I  fired  my 
revolver  at  their  leader,  and  in  an  instant  a  volley 
from  the  boys  emptied  fourteen  saddles. 

Such  a  panic  among  a  squad  of  guerrillas  has  sel- 
dom been  seen.  We  followed  them  with  our  seven 
shooters  till  they  were  out  of  sight. 

"  Now,  boys,  let  us  go  into  camp.  But  if  you  want 
another  brush,  we  can  have  it."  "Agreed,"  said  the 
boys,  "  let 's  try  'em  again." 

"Arms  port,"  said  I,  "forward,  and  double  quick!" 
On  we  went,  and  the  guerrillas  saw  us  running  and 
thought  it  was  their  time  to  retaliate,  and  under  fall 
spur  they  charged  upon  us.  We  formed  a  skirmish 
line  across  the  road  and  met  them. 


128  THE   GREAT    AMERICAN 

After  firing  some  twenty  rounds,  the  enemy  gave 
back,  reformed  the  line,  and  charged  again,  and  we 
met  them  as  before,  and  our  firing  brought  out  the  2nd 
111.  cavalry  to  our  support,  when  the  rebels  broke  and 
run  in  every  direction.  We  then  returned  to  camp,  and 
I  went  with  my  report  to  Gen.  Ross.  He  said,  "I  in- 
structed you  not  to  bring  on  an  engagement,  what 
did  you  do  it  for  ?  "  I  said,  "  the  guerrillas  got  be- 
tween us  and  camp,  and  we  had  to  shoot  ahole  through 
to  get  back."  He  said,  "  I  know  better,  and  you 
ought  to  be  Court-martialed  for  disobeying  orders, 
and  you  may  consider  yourself  under  arrest." 

I  wrote  to  General  Grant,  then  at  Jackson,  Tenn., 
gave  him  the  particulars  and  he  instructed  General 
Ross  to  release  me,  saying,  when  he  sent  out  scouts, 
and  the  enemy  got  between  them  and  camp,  if  ho 
did  not  allow  them  to  use  their  guns,  he  had  better 
arm  them  with  broom-handles,  as  they  would  be 
lighter  to  carry. 

The  next  trip  that  I  made  was  under  the  following 
instructions  from  General  Ross : 

"  I  understand,"  said  he,  "  by  report  from  citizens, 
that  General  Bragg  is  coming  this  way  with  his  forces, 
and  I  want  to  know  whether  he  really  is  coining  or 
not,  and  on  what  road  and  with  how  much  force.  I 
want  you  to  go  to  Somerville,  and  if  you  find  noth, 
ing  there,  go  to  Lagrange,  and  thence  to  Grand  June- 
tion,  Saulsbury,  Middleton,  and  Pocahontas,  and  then 
back.  If  you  find  a  force  at  any  place  in  your  route, 
you  will  come  immediately  back  and  report.  You 
will  make  the  trip  with  as  little  delay  as  possible. 


SCOUT   AND   SPV.  129 

I  received  my  instructions  in  the  evening,  and 
early  the  next  morning,  in  the  disguise  of  a  well- 
dressed  citizen,  mounted  on  a  mule,  I  was  on  my 
way.  During  the  cool  of  the  morning  I  traveled 
along  at  a  smart  trot,  and  by  sunrise  I  had  made 
about  eight  miles.  When  about  twelve  miles  out,  I 
was  about  passing  a  plantation  house,  when  an  old 
planter,  who  was  feeding  some  hogs  near  the  road, 
motioned  me  to  stop. 

"  Good  morning,  stranger,"  said  he,  as  I  reined  up. 

"trood  morning,  sir." 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  " 

"  Oh,  ho,  ho,  ho ;  I  have  been  to  Bolivar,"  said  I, 
laughing.  "  I  have  been  there  a  week,  and  I  know 
all  about  the  Yankee  forces  in  there,  and  now,  if  I 
can  only  find  General  Bragg,  then  I  am  all  right !  " 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  I  am  delighted  to  hear  it.  Won't 
you  alight  and  come  in  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  I  don't  care  if  I  do ;  for  I  have  been 
riding  since  before  daylight  ?  " 

I  dismounted  and  went  in,  and,  as  soon  as  I  was 
seated,  the  old  man  inquired  who  I  was. 

"  I  have  been  acting  the  Yankee,  and  I  belong  to 
General  Bragg' s  command." 
"  You  do  ?  " 
"Yes,  sir!" 

II  How  did  you  manage  to  get  into  Bolivar  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  told  them  that  I  was  a  Union  man,  and 
wanted  to  go  in  and  take  the  oath. 

"Well,  there  is  right  smart  of  them  gets  in  that  way, 
but  there  a' n't  many  of  them  that  'thinks  it  binding." 
0 


130  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  You  have  taken  the  oath,  I  suppose." 

"Yes,  we  all  do  that.  But,  come,  breakfast  is  ready 
sit  up  and  eat  some  breakfast." 

"Thank  you;  my  ride  this  morning  makes  me 
quite  hungry." 

The  breakfast  and  feed  for  my  mule  was  just 
what  I  wanted,  and  his  invitation  saved  me  the 
trouble  of  asking  for  it. 

With  a  profusion  of  thanks  and  good  wishes  to 
them,  I  bade  them  adieu,  and  resumed  my  journey. 
Somewhere  near  three  miles  east  of  Somervill^is  a 
beautiful  spring,  that  makes  its  exit  from  the  ground 
beneath  a  group  of  shady  elm  trees.  There  I  saw 
three  men,  engaged  in  washing  their  stockings!  It 
is  not  usual  for  men  to  wash  their  own  stockings  in 
the  ordinary  peaceful  avocations  of  life,  and  the  fact 
of  their  being  so  engaged,  and  also  dressed  like  citi- 
zens, was  conclusive  evidence  to  me  that  they  were 
guerrillas.  Riding  down  to  the  spring  and  dismount- 
ing, I  said,  "Look'e  here  boys;  can  I  have  a  drink?" 
To  which  they  assented,  and  having  drank  I  mounted 
my  mule  and  rode  on. 

Finding  no  troops  at  Somerville,  on  my  arrival,  I 
continued  on,  taking  the  road  that  leads  south  to 
La  grange,  which  place  I  reached  late  in  the  afternoon. 
There  I  found  four  regiments  of  infantry  and  two  re- 
giments of  cavalry.  They  had  just  arrived,  and  had 
not  yet  thrown  out  any  pickets.  The  advance  cavalry 
had  but  just  entered  the  town,  and  the  other  troops 
were  coming  in  the  distance. 

I  rode  along  into  town  among  the  soldiers,  as  fa- 


*  I 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  131 

miliarly  as  if  I  belonged  to  the  place,  and  stopped 
near  the  drug  store.  Standing  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  drug  store,  was  a  large,  corpulent,  red-faced  old 
man,  with  hair  almost  white,  leaning  upon  a  walk- 
ing-staff: near  by  was  a  Colonel,  dismounted,  and 
leaning  with  his  left  hand  upon  his  saddle;  all  about 
were  cavalry.  As  I  reined  up,  the  old  man  painted 
to  me  and  said,  "  Colonel,  there  is  a  Yankee  spy ;  he 
ought  to  be  shot.  I  know  him,  Colonel,  arid  know 
that  he  is  a  Yankee  spy." 

"  If  he  is  a  Yankee  spy  he  shall  be  shot." 

"  I  have  seen  him  before.  I  know  that  he  is  a 
Yankee  spy." 

"  A  Yankee  spy  !  "  ''A  Yankee  spy !  "  Shoot 
him  !  "  "  Hang  him  !  "  cried  out  the  soldiers,  rush- 
ing up  to  get  a  sight  of  me. 

"  Where  do  you  belong  ?  "  inquired  the  Colonel. 

"  My  home  is  in  Osceola,  Mississippi  County,  Ar- 
kansas ;  but  I  am  from  Memphis  now." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  out  to  Somerville,  and  beyond  to- 
ward Bolivar,  to  see  some  friends." 

"  Yes,  Bolivar  !  "  cried  the  old  man ;  "  the  rascal 
has  just  come  from  Bolivar,  and  there  is  where  he 
belongs.  I  tell  you  Colonel,  I  know  him ;  I  know 
that  he  is  a  Yankee  spy." 

"  Well,  if  you  know  him  to  be  a  Yankee  spy,  I'll 
shoot  him.  (Addressing  me,  and  drawing  his  re- 
volver and  cocking  it:)  "Get  off  from  your  mule." 

I  dismounted,  and  one  of  the  soldiers  led  my  mule 
to  one  side,  and  the  crowd  opened  behind  me.  The 


132  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

excitement  was  intense,  and  the  crowd  dense,  and,  in 
its  excitement,  it  swayed  to  and  fro  like  an  angry  mob, 
and  cries  went  up  from  every  direction,  "  Hang  him!" 
"  shoot  him  !  "  "  shoot  the  rascal !  "  I  cannot  picture 
the  horror  that  filled  me.  In  all  that  vast  multitude, 
there  was  not  a  friendly  eye  to  witness  my  doom! 
To  escape  was  utterly  impossible  !  Die  I  must  by 
the  hands  cf  traitors,  and  my  fate  be  wrapped  in 
oblivion  to  my  comrades  and  relatives  !  A  cold  tre- 
mor crept  over  me,  and  such  indescribable  sensations 
filled  me  as  makes  me  shudder  when  I  think  of  it. 

Just  then  Dr.  Biggs,  surgeon  of  the  4th  Tennes- 
see Infantry,  stepped  out  of  the  drug  store  to  learn 
the  cause  of  the  excitement.  As  he  came  out,  he 
saw  me  and  recognized  me  as  the  Confederate  spy 
that  had  been  captured  by  the  Federal  pickets  near 
his  house,  and  who  had  eaten  breakfast  with  him. 

"  Colonel,  you  are  gwine  to  shoot  the  wrong  man 
thar,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I  know  that  ar  man,  and 
I  know  who  he  is  and  whar  he  belongs.  He  is  no 
Yankee  spy." 

"I  know  that  he  is  a  Yankee  spy,"  said  the  old  man. 

"  I  know  better"  said  the  doctor ;  "  and  if  you 
kill  him,  you  kill  the  wrong  man.  You  ar  not  a 
gwine  to  find  out  his  business :  and  if  you  kill  him, 
he'll  not  tell  you.  I  know  that  he  is  all  right.  I  have 
seen  him  in  a  tighter  place  than  he  is  in  now."  Then 
stepping  to  the  soldier  that  held  my  mule,  he  snatch- 
ed the  bridle  out  of  his  hand,  and,  turning  to  me,  he 
said  :  "  Here,  take  your  mule ;  they  are  not  a  gwine 
to  shoot  you."  Then  turning  to  the  Colonel,  and 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  133 

stamping  his  foot  on  the  ground,  he  said  :  "  You  are 
not  a  gwine  to  shoot  that  man,  for  I  KNOW  that  he  is 
all  right !  " 

"  Well,  doctor,  if  you  know  that  he  is  all  right, 
and  are  willing  to  vouch  for  him,  I'll  let  him  go." 
"  I  will  vouch  for  him,  for  I  know  who  he  is." 
Then  turning  to  me,  he  said :  "  Get  on  your  mule 
and  go  about  your  business ;  they  are  not  a  gwine 
to  hurt  you." 

I  mounted  my  mule  and  the  soldiers  opened  the 
way  for  me,  and  I  went  a  sailing  out  of  town  ;  and 
I  don't  think  I  was  very  long  in  getting  hack  to 
Bolivar. 

I  tell  you,  reader,  in  that  Doctor  Biggs  I  fully 
realized  that  "a  friend  in  need  was  a  friend  indeed.''' 
His  appearance  at  that  critical  moment  was  as  un- 
expected as  would  have  been  a  visit  from  an  angel 
in  heaven.  When  I  reported  to  General  Ross,  I 
narrated  to  him  my  adventure. 

"Bunker,"  said  he,  "don't  you  know  that  when  a 
man  goes  out  as  a  spy,  he  goes,  as  it  were,  with  a 
rope  round  his  neck,-  ready  for  any  body  to  draw  it 
tight?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  had  a  slight  hint  of  that  fact  on 
this  trip." 

I  resolved  that  if  ever  an  opportunity  offered,  the 
old,  gray-headed  rebel  at  Lagrange  should  be  brought 
to  account  for  his  treatment ;  so  I  went  to  the  Pro- 
vost-marshal and  gave  him  a  narrative  of  the  adven- 
ture, and  a  description  of  the  rebel,  so  that  in  case 
he  should  ever  visit  the  place,  he  might  be  captured. 


134  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

About  two  months  after  the  foregoing  adventure, 
Lagrange  was  occupied  "by  Federal  troops,  and  Col. 
Norton,  the  same  officer  that  was  Provost-marshal  in 
Bolivar,  now  commanded  the  post.  As  I  was  passing 
along  the  streets,  one  day,  I  saw,  not  four  feet  from 
the  place  where  I  first  met  him,  the  old,  grey-headed 
rebel,  with  his  staff  in  his  hand.  His  appearance 
was  permanently  stereotyped  in  my  mind,  and  I 
could  not  be  mistaken  in  the  man  who  had  so  nearly 
deprived  me  of  my  life. 

Drawing  my  revolver,  I  walked  up  to  him,  saying, 
"  You  old,  gray-headed  rebel !  do  you  remember  the 
'Yankee  spy?'  Do  you  'know  him'  now?  Have 
you  'seen  him  before  ?  ' ' 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  he ;  "  I  don't  under- 
stand you ! " 

"l"o?/  dont  know  what  I  mean!  You  don't  re- 
member telling  the  rebel  Colonel,  standing  in  the 
tracks  where  you  now  stand,  '/  know  him ;  I  have 
seen  him  before ;  I  know  that  he  is  a  Yankee  spij  !  ' 
Don't  tell  me,  you  old,  gray-headed  villain,  that  you 
dont  know  what  I  mean!  You  start  with  mo  to  the 
commender  of  the  post,  or  I  '11  blow  your  brains  out 
here!" 

The  old  fellow  led  the  way  and  I  followed,  with 
my  revolver  cocked. 

.  "  Colonel,"  said  I,  as  wo  entered  his  office,  "  here 
is  the  old,  gray-headed  devil  that  said  to  the  rebel 
Colonel,  'Kill  the  Yankee  spy' ;  and  I  have  brought 
him  in  for  you  to  dispose  of." 

"Bunker,"  said  the  Colonel,  "a' n't  you  mistaken?" 


SCOUT    AND   SPi'.  135 

"No,  I  a'n't!  I  know  him,  and  I  found  him  stand- 
ing in  the  very  place  where  ho  tried  to  have  me 
shot!"  Then  turningtothe  old  man,  I  said:  "Didn't 
you  toll  the  rebel  Colonel,  that  I  was  a  Yankee  spy, 
and  try  to  have  him  shoot  me  ?  tell  me  the  truth,  or 
I 'II  kill  you  right  here!" 

"  Ye-yes,  I — believe  I — d-do — recollect  it  now-" 

"You  old  whelp!  You  deserve  to  be  shot!  "  said  the 
Colonel.  "  Here  I  have  been  guarding  your  house, 
and  guarding  your  mules,  and  boarding  with  you ; 
and  you  representing  yourself  to  have  always  been  a 
Union  man,  and  the  oath  in  your  pocket  that  you  took 
last  summer!  "  Then  turning  to  me,  he  said :  "Bunker, 
I  '11  dispose  of  him  as  he  ought  to  be." 

*'  Thank  you,  Colonel,  I  wish  you  would." 

The  next  morning  the  guards  were  removed  from 
the  old  man's  premises,' and  ho  was  put  aboard  the 
cars,  in  irons,  destined  to  go  North. 

A  day  or  two  afterward  I  happened  to  be  passing 
by  where  a  number  of  rebel  prisoners  were_connned, 
and  there  I  saw  the  sutler  of  the  2d  Arkansas  Cav- 
alry (the  regiment  that  I  run  with  so  long).  The 
sutler  knew  me,  and  motioned  to  rne  to  come  in  ;  so 
I  got  pcsrnission  of  the  officer  in  charge  to  go  in  and 
see  him.  lie  still  supposed  that  I  was  secesh. 

''Rnggles,"  said  he,  "  I  am  here  under  arrest  as  a 
guerrilla.  Now,  you  know  that  I  am  no  guerrilla, 
but  a  regularly  authorized  sutler  in  the  2d  Arkansas 
Cavalry.  I  wish  you  would  see  the  commander  of  the 
post  and  explain  that  fact  to  him,  so  that  I  may  be 
treated  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  not  as  an  outlaw." 


130  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

"Well,  I  will  tell  him  what  I  know  about  .it. 
Perhaps  ho  will  recognize  you  as  a  prisoner  of  war." 

"  Thank  you  !  Do  what  you  can  for  me.  But, 
between  you  and  I,  (speaking  confidentially,)  I  quit 
sutlering  and  joined  a  band  of  guerrillas,  because  I 
thought  that  I  could  make  more  money  at  it.  It 
was  all  bad  management  that  we  got  captured." 

Just  then  another  prisoner  came  up,  and,  taking 
me  by  the  hand,  said,  "  Don't  you  know  me  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  remember  you,  as  I  know  of." 

"  Do  you  remember  of  seeing  three  men  at  the 
spring,  three  miles  east  of  Somervillc,  last  summer, 
when  you  were  riding  by;  when  you  stopped  to 
drink?" 

"  Oh,  yes  !  I  do  recollect  it  now." 

"  Well,  we  are  the  men." 

"  Are  you  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Now,  you  know  that  we  are  only  citizens, 
and  that  we  don't  belong  to  any  guerrilla  band." 

"  Of  course  I  do !     You  are  no  guerrillas  !  " 

"  If  you  please,  I  want  to  have  you  go  and  see 
the  commanding  officer,  and  tell  him  that  we  are  not 
guerrillas,  but  peaceable,  quiet  citizens." 

"  Certainly,  boys !  I'll  help  you  out  of  this,  if  I 
can  ?  " 

I  went  to  the  commander  of  the  post  and  told  him 
what  "  /  knew  about  them"  and  did  all  I  could  to 
"  get  them  out  of  that"  and  a  few  days  after  they 
were  all  sent  North  in  irons. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  137 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Reconnoitcrs  Hickory  Flats  \vit!i  a  squad  of  seven  men  —  Shoots  at  the 
mark — Orders  to  march  with  two  days'  rations — Cause  of  the  alarm — 
IJcconnoiter  beyond  Whitesville  —  Major  Mudd's  trap  —  "  Bunker"  en- 
tices the  rebs  into  it  —  Rides  into  the  trap  behind  a  rebel  Captain  — 
Sent  out  beyond  Pocahontas  —  Passes  as  a  rebel  artillerist  —  Sccesh 
citizens  stands  guard  for  him — The  very  kind  secesh  lady — The  anxious 
wife — Discovers  guerrillas  burning  a  human  being. 

NEAR  the  close  of  September,  General  Ilurlbut 
arrived  at  Bolivar,  with  his  division,  from  Memphis, 
and  assumed  command  of  the  post.  General  Ross 
recommended  me  to  him  as  a  reliable  and  successful 
spy.  I  knew  the  General,  but  never  had  worked  for 
him.  I  will  here  acknowledge  that  I  am  indebted 
to  General  Hurl  but  for  some  of  the  best  lessons  that 
I  have  ever  received  in  regard  to  my  duties  as  a  spy. 

The  first  time  that  I  went  out  for  General  Hurlbut, 
he  told  me  that  he  wanted  I  should  go  out  to  the 
Hickory  Flats,  and  scout  all  over  the  flats  and  see  if 
I  could  find  any  rebel  cavr.lry.  I  asked  the  privilege 
of  taking  seven  men  with  me,  which  was  granted, 
and  I  was  told  to  select  such  men  as  I  preferred. 
At  that  time  detachments  of  the  enemy,  mostly  ca. 
valry,  were  scattered  about  the  country,  watching 
for  opportunities  to  annoy  us,  by  attacking  our  forage 
parties,  and  making  raids  upon  the  railroad  that  we 


138  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

depended  upon. to  transport  our  supplies.  It  had  been 
extremely  difficult  to  find  such  detachments,  "becausr 
they  usually  stayed  but  a  short  time  in  a  place,  and 
generally  encamped  in  some  back,  out-of-the-way 
place,  concealed  by  swamps,  woods,  and  cane-brakes, 
reached  by  unfrequented  roads  or  paths.  The  object 
of  my  trip  was  to  examine  thoroughly  the  Ilickoey 
Flats  and  its  vicinity  for  any  such  detachments. 

I  selected  my  men,  and  proceeded  to  the  place  and 
examine  it,  so  far  as  I  could,  on  the  day  that  I  went 
out.  I  remained  there  over  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing resumed  my  work,  and  by  noon  had  thoroughly 
rcconnoitcrcd  the  locality,  without  having  discovered 
any  detachments  of  the  enemy.  We  then  eat  dinner, 
and  prepared  to  return. 

As  we  were  about  to  leave,  Sergeant  Quackcnbush, 
one  of  my  squad,  proposed  that,  inasmuch  as  we  were 
fifteen  miles  away  from  camp,  I  allow  the  men  to 
shoot  a  few  rounds  at  a  mark,  for  practice.  Not 
thinking  that  there  could  be  any  serious  consequences 
resulting  from  it,  I  consented.  "We  all  engaged  in 
shooting,  following  one  after  the  other  in  quick  suc- 
cession, until  we  had  fired,  in  all,  forty-seven  shots. 
1  was  not  aware  that  any  other  scouting  party  had 
been  sent  out.  Having  finished  our  shooting,  we  re- 
turned to  camp.  It  was  late  when  we  arrived,  and, 
being  very  tired,  I  deferred  reporting  to  General  Hurl- 
but  until  the  next  morning. 

About  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  troops  were 
wakened  up,  and  given  orders  to  put  two  days'  cooked 
rations  in  their  haversacks,  and  be  ready  to  inarch 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  139 

at  a  moments  notice.  It  seemed  a  strange  move  for 
me,  for  I  thought  that  I  was  as  well  posted  as  any 
body  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  enemy.  I  could  not 
comprehend  what  the  move  meant. 

My  curiosity  became  so  excited  about  it,  tliat  I 
started  for  head-quarters  to  report  much  earlier  than 
I  otherwise  would  have  done.  As  I  passed  the  differ- 
ent camps,  every  thing  was  bustle  and  hurry,  with 
preparations  for  a  march.  The  cavalry  horses  were 
saddled  and  the  artillery  horses  harnessed,  in  prepara- 
tions for  a  move.  Something  was  up,  sure,  and  I 
wondered  what  it  could  be. 

"  What's  up  ?  What  do  you  think  is  the  matter?" 
said  I,  calling  to  an  artilleryman,  as  I  passed. 

"  The  cavalry  that  went  out  yesterday  reported  a 
large  force  of  rebel  cavalry  on  the  Hickory  Flats, 
and  I  expect  that  we  are  going  out  there,"  was  the 
reply. 

It  was  all  clear  enough  then !  I  had  done  the 
mischief!  I  felt  badly  worked  up  about  it.  I  knew 
that  I  had  no  business  to  fire  a  gun ;  but  I  was  so 
far  away  that  I  did-  not  suppose  any  of  our  forces 
would  hear  it.  It  was  my  first  scout  for  General 
Ilurlbut,  and  I  expected  that  it  would  destroy  his 
confidence  in  me.  I  expected  a  severe  rebuke,  at 
least,  and  I  dreaded  to  report.  I  determined,  how- 
ever, to  face  thej^ music,  let  come  what  would ;  so  I 
went  in. 

"  Good  morning,  General,"  said  I,  saluting  him  as 
I  went  in.  "  I  have  got  back." 

"  Good  morningf,  Bunker.    What's  the  news  ?  " 


140  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  Nothing ;  I  haven't  got  any  news  this  morn- 
ing." 

"  Where  did  you  go  ?" 

"I  went  right  where  you  told  me  to  go — out  to 
Hickory  Flats,  and  back,  by  way  of  Middleburg,  to 
camp." 

"  Have  you  been  out  to  the  Hickory  Flats  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Did  you  see  any  rebel  cavalry  there  ?" 

"No,  sir,  I  did  riot." 

"  Well,  Bunker,  your  report  and  that  of  the  caval- 
ry don't  agree  at  all." 

"  I  can't  help  it,  General ;  I  have  been  right  where 
you  told  me  to  go,  and  I  did  not  see  any  rebel  cav- 
alry." 

"Bunker!"  said  the  General  with  emphasis,  "do 
you  come  here  and  tell  me  that  you  have  been  down 
on  Hickory  Flats,  and  that  there  is  no  rebel  cavalry 
there  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  do.  I  know  what  the  trouble  is.  I 
expect  that  I'll  catch  '  Hail  Columbia'  now  !  I  caused 
the  mischief." 

"How  so?" 

"After  I  finished  my  reconnoissance  yesterday, 
before  starting  back,  I  allowed  the  men  to  fire  at  the 
mark,  and  they  kept  up  a  pretty  brisk  fire  until  they 
had  fired  forty-seven  shots.  I  suspect  that  the  cavalry 
has  been  out  there  and  heard  it.  .  I  knew  that  we 
were  fifteen  miles  away  from  camp,  and  I  did  not 
think  that  we  might  cause  an  alarm  by  it." 

"That's  a  fact,  is  it?" 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  141 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Very  well;  that  will  do.  Be  careful  the  next 
time." 

An  hour  later  all  was  quiet  in  camp ;  the  horses 
were  unharnessed,  and  everything  moved  off  as  usual. 

A  little  incident  took  place  during  a  reconnoissance 
to  a  small  town  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Hatchie 
River,  West  of  Whitesville,  some  time  in  September, 
1862,  that  I  will  here  narrate. 

A  brigade  of  infantry,  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  a 
battery  of  artillery,  and  the  detachment  known  as  the 
"mule  cavalry"  constituted  the  force.  The  cavalry 
was  the  2d  Illinois,  under  the  command  of  Major 
Mudd.  When  within  four  miles  of  the  town,  the  in- 
fantry and  artillery  halted,  and  the  2d  Illinois  and 
mule  cavalry  went  on  to  the  river. 

On  several  occasions,  scouting  parties  of  cavalry 
had  dashed  into  the  town,  and  they  had  always  found 
some  rebel  cavalry,  who,  on  the  approach  of  the 
Federal  cavalry,  would  break,  taking  a  path  that  led 
to  a  ford  across  the  river,  and  hide  themselves  among 
the  canes  that  grew  upon  the  bottoms  along  the  river. 
To  prevent  their  escape,  on  this  occasion,  Major  Mudd 
sent  two  companies  and  the  "mule  cavalry"  by  the 
road  into  town,  and  took  the  balance  of  his  command 
down  the  river  to  the  ford  that  I  have  mentioned,  and 
disposed  his  men  among  the  canes  in  such  a  way  as 
not  to  be  seen  from  the  side  of  the  river  next  to  the 
town,  and,  at  the  same  time,  be  able  to  capture  all 
that  crossed  at  the  ford. 


142  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

I  accompanied  the  Major,  and,  after  he  had  got 
his  men  satisfactorily  arranged,  I  undressed  and 
waded  the  river,  which  was  about  four  feet  deep  and 
about  forty  feet  wide,  to  see  how  things  looked  on  the 
other  side.  Having  dressed  myself,  I  proceeded  to 
examine  the  locality.  I  found  that,  at  a  few  paces 
from  the  river,  there  was  a  path  that  turned  down  the 
stream  and  crossed  at  a  ford  below  where  the  Major 
had  set  his  trap.  It  was  then  too  late  to  change  the 
disposal  of  the  men,  so  I  resolved  to  act  as  a  "  stool- 
pigeon"  to  the  Major's  trap.  I  stationed  myself  where 
I  would  be  in  plain  view  of  any  person  that  might 
take  the  wrong  path,  and  whenever  a  man  would  in- 
cline to  turn  down  the  river  I  would  motion  him  to 
come  toward  me,  as  if  I  mistrusted  there  was  some- 
thing wrong  down  below,  and  as  he  came  up,  I  would 
say  to  him,  as  if  by  way  of  caution,  "  There  is  Lin- 
coln cavalry  down  there  ;  you  had  better  cross  here." 

Some  rode  across  the  ford  without  any  enticing, 
and  others  inclined  to  take  the  wrong  path  ;  such  I 
would  entice  to  take  the  right  path.  In  this  I  was 
successful  at  every  attempt.  My  dress  being  like 
that  of  a  citizen,  they  did  not  mistrust  my  character. 
I  had  succeeded  in  enticing  five  men  into  the  trap, 
when  a  rebel  captain  made  his  appearance,  with  a 
pair  of  beautiful  mouse-colored  mules,  as  sleek  as 
moles,  and  manifested  a  disposition  to  take  the  wrong 
path.  He  was  riding  one  of  the  mules  himself,  and 
a  colored  boy  was  riding  the  other.  I  motioned  to 
the  captain  to  come  toward  me.  As  he  came  up— 

"  There  is  Lincoln  cavalry  down  that  way,"  said  I ; 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  143 

"  you  had  better  cross  here.  What's  the  matter  up 
in  town  ?" 

"  The  town  is  full  of  Lincolnites !" 

"  They'll  be  down  here  directly,  then :  I  reckon  we 
had  better  get  out  of  this.  Won't  you  let  me  get  on 
behind  you  and  ride  across  ?" 

"Yes,  come  this  way."  He  rode  alongside  of  a 
bank  of  earth,  and  I  sprang  on  behind  him.  We 
crossed  the  stream,  and  had  ascended  the  bank  on  the 
opposite  side,  when,  discovering  the  Lincolnites,  with 
their  carbines  levelled  at  us,  he  exclaimed,  "Whoa, 
mule !  Captured !  Both  of  us  !  Wall,  that's  too 
bad !  Here  I  am,  within  five  miles  of  my  command, 
-and  captured !" 

"That's  a  fact,  Captain,  but  we  can't  help  it  now. 
I  expect  we  had  better  ride  on  up  ;  it's  no  place  to 
trade  jackknives  here  !"  So  we  went  on. 

"  Whew !"  said  the  Major,  "  that's  the  way  I  like 
to  see  you  come  ;  when  you  come,  come  double !" 

We  rode  up  to  the  Major,  who  ordered  us  to  dis- 
mount, and,  taking  possession  of  the  mules,  he  said, 
pointing  to  the  group  he  had  already  captured : 
"There,  you  had  better  go  right  down  there,  out  of 
sight ;  that's  the  best  place  for  you.  How  do  you  like 
my  trap,  Captain  ?" 

"  I  think  it's  a  very  good  one  ;  it  caught  me  mighty 
nice !" 

He  felt  sold  over  his  capture,  and  doubly  so  when 
he  learned  that  /had  enticed  him  into  the  trap.  The 
Major  having  succeeded  in  entrapping  eighteen  "  very 
fine"  rcbs,  we  returned  with  the  brigade  to  Bolivar. 


144  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

On  the  3d  day  of  October,  General  Price  attacked 
General  Rosecrans  at  Corinth,  Miss.,  and,  after  a  se- 
vere engagement,  was  defeated  and  compelled  to  re- 
treat. General  Hurlbut  immediately  marched  the 
troops  under  his  command  to  General  Rosecrans'  as- 
sistance. On  his  way,  he  met  the  rebel  army  on  its 
retreat,  while  it  was  crossing  the  Hatchie  River,  and 
completely  routed  it. 

A  few  days  after  the  return  of  General  Hurlbut's 
command  to  Bolivar,  he  sent  me  out  to  find  where 
the  scattered  fragments  of  General  Price's  army  were 
concentrating.  I  was  allowed  to  take  a  man  with 
me,  and  was  requested  to  make  the  trip  as  quickly  as" 
possible.  As  I  was  about  leaving  the  General's 
quarters,  he  called  tome,  "Here,  come  back!"  I 
went  back,  and  he  continued:  "I  want  you  to  un- 
derstand that  you  are  to  work  for  me  now.  I  don't 
want  you  to  tattle  on  the  picket-line.  I  have  been 
told  that  you  have  sometimes  reported  to  your 
colonel ;  you  might  as  well  report  to  a  corporal  as  to, 
a  colonel,  unless  he  sends  you  out.  I  want  you  to 
report  to  me." 

"General,  explain  to  me,  if  you  please,  what  that 
means.  I  have  never  reported  to  a  colonel  but  once." 

"Well  that's  once  too  much.  That's  the  reason 
the  detachment  of  Armstrong's  cavalry  was  not  cap- 
tured, that  you  reported  to  General  Ross,  the  other 
day." 

I  begged  the  General's  pardon,  and  promised  to 
do  better.  I  have  been  very  careful  since  not  to  re- 
port to  anybody  but  the  officer  that  sent  me  out. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  145 

I  selected  Sergeant  E.  W.  Quackenbush,  of  the 
20th  Ohio,  to  accompany  me.  He  had  been  with  me 
on  previous  scouts.  We  were  on  foot,  disguised  like 
rebel  soldiers  belonging  to  artillery. 

Owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour  of  our  departure, 
when  night  came  on  we  had  made  but  about  seven 
miles.  Stopping  at  the  gate  in  front  of  a  farmhouse, 
just  before  dark,  and,  addressing  the  man  of  the 
house,  who  was  standing  on  the  porch,  I  said  : 
"  Halloo,  mister,  can  we  get  a  little  supper  here,  and, 
stay  all  night  ?" 

' '  Well,  no,  sir  ;  the  Yankees  have  done  taken  all 
that  I  had  ;  you  can't  get  any  supper  here." 

"Partner,"  said  I  to  the  Sergeant,  "let  us  go  on. 
Blast  that  man's  picture !  he'll  hear  from  me  some  da)' 
to  pay  for  treating  his  own  soldiers  in  that  way !" 

"Hold  on,  soldiers!"  said  the  man;  "where  do 
you  belong  ?" 

"I  am  Orderly  Sergeant  of  Price's  1st  Battery  of 
Artillery/'  I  replied,  "  and  this  man  with  me  belongs 
to  the  same  battery.  We  were  captured  by  the 
Yankees,  and  have  succeeded  in  getting  away  from 
them ;  we  have  been  without  anything  to  eat  for 
twenty-four  hours." 

"Yes,  yes!"  said  the  man's  wife,  who  had  heard 
what  had  been  said;  "you  can  have  something  to 
eat,  and  you  can  have  -  the  best  bed  in  the  house ! 
Come  in,  bo}7s,  come  in." 

We  went  in  and  sat  down.  "You  were  in  the 
fight  on  the  Hatchie,  the  other  day,  were  you  ?"  said 
the  man. 

7 


146  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  Yes,  till  we  g%ot  captured." 

"  Well,  how  did  the  fight  come  off?" 

"I  can't  tell  you  very  much  about  it.  When  we 
had  fired  only  three  rounds,  some  Lincoln  cavalry 
charged  right  up  to  us,  and  captured  us  and  our  bat- 
tery, and  immediately  sent  us  to  the  rear ;  conse- 
quently, I  don't  know  much  about  it." 

" I  declare !"  said  he  ;  "I  would  like  to  hear  from 
the  fight!" 

' '  Have  you  lived  in  these  parts  long  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  was  raised  in  this  county." 

"  You  have  taken  the  oath  to  the  Lincoln  Govern- 
ment, I  suppose  ?" 

"  Yes,  we  all  do  that.  I  was  obliged  to  do  it,  but 
I  don't  consider  it  binding  at  all.  I  have  been  in 
the  Confederate  army  fifteen  months !  You  didn't 
know  that,  did  you,  boys  ?" 

"No;  you  had  better  keep  that  thing  to  your- 
self, for  if  the  Yankees  find  it  out  they'll  hang 
you." 

"Pshaw!  lam  not  afraid  of  their  finding  it  out. 
But  come,  boys,  I  see  that  supper  is  ready ;  sit  up 
and  eat  some  supper." 

The  lady  of  the  house  had  prepared  us  a  meal 
worthy  of  veterans  in  a  nobler  cause  than  we  feigned 
to  represent.  The  table  was  bountifully  supplied. 
In  times  of  peace  a  better  table  would  rarely  have 
been  set.  It  had  been  a  long  time  since  our  eyes 
had  rested  upon  such  a  meal.  I  think,  however,  that 
we  did  the  subject  justice. 

Having  finished  our  supper  and  shoved  back,  the 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  147 

Sergeant  began  to  show  signs  of  drowsiness,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  was  asleep  in  the  chair.  "That's  a 
brave,  gallant  soldier,"  said  I.  "Very  few  men  have 
the  daring  and  the  courage  that  he  possesses  ;  but  I 
see  that  the  poor  fellow  is  tired  out  with  his  hardships, 
and  has  gone  to  sleep." 

"  Poor  soldier !"  exclaimed  the  lady.  "How  the  poor 
soldiers  have  to  suffer  !" 

"  Yes,  and  there  are  very  few  persons,  outside  of 
the  army,  that  realize  the  hardships  and  sufferings 
that  the  soldiers  have  to  endure." 

"  God  bless  their  brave  hearts!"  she  exclaimed  ;  "how 
I  do  pity  them!" 

The  "  poor  soldier"  was  wakened  up  and  shown  to 
bed.  Before  retiring,  I  took  off  my  belt  and  revolver, 
and,  handing  it  to  the  man,  I  said  :  "  JSTow,  mister,  I 
would  like  to  ask  another  favor  of  you.  Can't  you 
take  this  revolver  and  keep  watch  for  us  to-night, 
while  we  sleep,  so  that  we  can  both  get  one  good 
night's  rest  ?  Can't  you  afford  to  do  that  much  for 
us  ?  We  have  got  away  from  the  Yankees,  and  we 
don't  want  to  be  captured  again." 

"  Yes,  I'll  stand  guard  for  you.  How  did  you  keep 
the  Yankees  from  taking  your  revolver  ?" 

"  I  had  it  rolled  up  in  my  coat,  and  I  carried  my 
coat  under  my  arm  ;  they  did  not  suspect  that  I  had 
one." 

"Well,  that  was  lucky,  wasn't  it?" 

"  Yes,  it  was  lucky  for  me,  but  my  partner  lost 
his." 

I  then  retired  to  bed.     Before  I  had  gone  to  sleep, 


148  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

the  man  visited  my  room,  and  said:  "  If  the  Yan- 
kees come,  yon  must  unhook  the  window-blind,  shove 
it  open,  and  jump  out,  and  run  down  into  a  gulley  be- 
hind the  stable  and  hide,  and  when  the  Yankees  are 
all  dun  gone,  I'll  come  down  and  tell  you."  For  some 
time  before  closing  my  eyes  in  sleep,  I  could  hear  the 
man  pacing  back  and  forth  across  the  floor,  like  a 
sentry  pacing  his  beat.  The  night  passed  away  and 
we  enjoyed  a  most  refreshing  sleep,  under  the  "guard- 
ing influence"  of  our  secesh  friend.  We  arose  carty 
in  the  morning  to  renew  our  journey,  and  found  our 
guard  still  on  duty.  We  were  about  to  leave,  when 
the  man  said,  "  You'll  stop  with  us  to  breakfast,  won't 
you  ?"  "  No,  I  thank  you  ;  we  should  be  glad  to,  but 
we  must  go,  for  I  am  afraid  that  the  Yankees  will  be 
after  us  by-and-by,  and  we  do  not  want  to  get  cap- 
tured again.  We  are  under  very  great  obligations  to 
you  for  our  excellent  supper  and  the  refreshing  sleep 
that  we  have  had.  You  have  been  a  soldier,  and  you 
know,  by  experience,  how  very  grateful  a  soldier  feels 
for  such  kindness."  We  then  shook  hands  with  him 
and  his  wife,  bade  them  a  good-bye,  and  went  on. 

When  we  had  travelled  about  six  miles,  we  came 
to  a  large,  fine,  white  house,  with  every  thing  about 
it  that  indicated  wealth  and  refinement.  Our  walk 
had  created  an  appetite  for  breakfast,  and  we  con- 
cluded to  give  the  people  of  the  house  a  call.  I  no- 
ticed, as  we  entered,  that  breakfast  was  about  ready. 
Addressing  myself  to  the  lady  of  the  house,  said  I, 
"  Can  we  get  some  breakfast  here  this  morning  ?  We 
are  in  rather  a  tight  place.  We"  were  captured  by 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  149 

the  Yankees  in  the  fight  on  the  Hatchie,  and  we 
have  run  away  from  them ;  they  have  robbed  us  of 
all  our  money,  and  we  have  got  nothing  to  pay  you 
with.77 

"Why,  certainly  you  can  have  some  breakfast. 
How  you  poor  soldiers  do  have  to  suffer !  Sit  down 
and  rest  yourselves.77 

We  sat  down,  and  but  a  few  minutes  elapsed  be- 
fore breakfast  was  ready,  when  we  were  invited  to  sit 
up  with  the  family.  The  Sergeant  was  seated  next 
to  the  lady,  and  I  next  to  him.  I  had  finished  my 
breakfast,  and  was  about  shoving  back,  when  the 
lady  of  the  house  said  :  "  Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  my  dear 
soldiers  ;  eat  all  you  want ;  we  have  got  plenty.  You 
don7t  know  when  you  will  get  anything  to  eat  again.77 

I  thanked  her,  and  moved  back.  When  the  Ser- 
geant had  finished,  she  said :  "  Now,  dear  soldiers,  fill 
your  pockets  with  those  nice  wheat  biscuit.  The 
Lord  only  knows  when  you  will  get  any  thing  more. 
How  I  do  pity  you !" 

The  Sergeant  declined,  but  she  insisted.  "  You 
must  take  some.  As  likely  as  not  you  won7t  get  any 
thing  again  for  several  days  ;  do  take  some.  Here, 
take  these,77  and  she  began  to  stuff  them  into  his 
pockets,  which  she  continued  until  she  had  filled  them 
full.  ' '  There  ;  how  nicely  they  will  relish ! 

"  Partner,77  said  I,  "we  had  better  be  getting  back 
to  the  woods  again,  for  the  Yankees  might  come  along 
and  find  us.77 

"Yes,77  said  the  lady,  "do  be  very  careful.  Don't 
let  them  take  you  if  you  can  help  it,  for  you  don't 


150  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

know  how  much  you  might  have  to  suffer.  How  glad 
I  am  to  help  you  ! 

Thanking  her  for  her  good  wishes  and  kindness,  we 
proceeded  on  our  way. 

That  lady  was  a  noble,  generous-hearted  woman,  and 
her  eyes  sparkled  with  crystals  of  sympathy  while 
she  was  bestowing  upon  us  those  little  acts  of  kind- 
ness. So  full  had  she  filled  the  Sergeant's  pockets 
with  cakes,  that  they  rendered  him  uncomfortable 
while  walking,  and  he  was  obliged  to  throw  part  of 
them  away. 

The  next  house  that  we  stopped  at  was  occupied 
by  an.  elderly  lady,  who,  when  we  entered,  was  en- 
gaged in  churning.  She  invited  us  to  be  seated,  and 
then  said  :  "  Have  you  been  in  the  fight  ?" 

"  Yes,  we  were  in  the  fight  and  were  captured,  and 
have  made  our  escape." 

"  Dear  me  !  how  anxious  I  do  feel  about  my  hus- 
band !" 

"  Was  he  in  the  fight  ?" 

"•Yes,  he  took  his  gun  and  went  down  to  help  whip 
the  Yankees  ;  I  am  so  afraid  that  he  is  killed  that  I 
don't  know  what  to  do  !  What  a  dreadful  thing  it 
would  be  if  he  should  get  killed." 

We  listened  to  the  lady's  expressions  of  anxiety 
about  her  husband  until  the  churning  was  finished, 
when  she  gave  us  some  buttermilk  to  drink,  which, 
with  some  of  our  nice  wheat  cakes,  made  us  an  excel- 
lent lunch. 

From  there  we  went  on,  without  seeing  anything  of 
interest  until  we  came  to  the  vicinity  of  Middleton. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  151 

As  we  approached  that  place  we  saw  a  dense  smoke 
arise,  with  a  peculiar  odor,  which  was  so  strong  as  to 
attract  our  attention  and  lead  us  to  suspect  that  all 
was  not  right.  We  moved  along  cautiously,  keeping 
a  sharp  lookout  for  soldiers  or  guerrillas.  As  we 
rose  to  the  top  of  the  hill  to  the  west  of  the  town,  we 
could  sec  a  large  fire,  and  about  thirty  men  standing 
around  it,  with  long  poles  in  their  hands.  The  odor 
that  arose  was  almost  intolerable.  This  was  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  crept  up  as  near 
as  we  could  without  exposing  ourselves  to  full  view, 
and  then — oh,  horrible  to  tell ! — we  could  see  the  men 
move  about  excitedly,  and  push  with  their  poles  some- 
thing into  the  fire.  Then  sparks  would  fill  the  air, 
and  we  could  hear  screams  like  those  of  human  beings. 
Amid  the  screams  would  arise  horrid  oaths,  and  cries 
of  ' '  Bring  on  another  !" 

I  did  not  see  a  human  form  in  the  fire  ;  but  that 
odor,  those  screams,  intermingled  with  such  horrid  blas- 
phemy, was  unmistakable  evidence  that  some  poor  mor- 
tal was  suffering  the  hellish  torture  of  a  band  of  guer- 
rillas !  Perhaps  some  brave  soldier,  unable  to  keep 
up  with  his  command  on  its  return  from  the  late  bat- 
tle ;  or  some  citizen,  whose  loyalty  made  him  dare  to 
breathe  his  sentiments  ;  or,  some  poor  mortal  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  possess  a  sable  complexion,  was  there, 
immolated  upon  the  altar  of  fiendish  revenge.  As 
familiar  as  I  have  been  with  scenes  of  suffering, 
bloodshed,  and  slaughter,  the  recollection  of  that  scene 
is  most  revolting.  In  the  face  of  the  cruelties  that 
our  men  have  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  con- 


152  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

trary  to  all  the  rules  of  war,  it  is  a  wonder  to  me  that 
they  have  committed  so  few  acts  of  retaliation. 

We  did  not  dare  to  remain  there  long,  lest  it  might 
be  our  turn  next  to  gratify  their  barbarism.  We  went 
back  down  the  hill,  and  took  another  direction.  We 
soon  found  the  country  full  of  guerrillas  and  squads 
of  soldiers  that  had  become  routed  during  the  light. 
They  were  gathering  together  in  small  squads  where- 
ever  they  could,  some  with  arms  and  some  without. 
The  victory  to  the  Federal  troops  had  been  a  com- 
plete route  of  Price's  army. 

I  did  not  go  as  far  as  I  had  intended  to  go,  because 
the  state  of  the  country  was  such  that  I  deemed  it 
imprudent  to  venture  further  ;  so  we  returned  to  camp 
the  next  day,  without  a  knowledge  of  where  the  scat- 
tered troops  were  concentrating. 

ANOTHER   STORY. 

While  the  troops  were  laying  along  the  road  from 
Jackson  to  Grand  Junction,  General  McPherson  asked 
me  to  make  a  trip  to  the  Tallahatchie,  where  General 
Price  was  fortifying,  and  find  out  the  number  of  his 
men  and  the  number  of  his  artillery,  and  the  best 
mode  of  attack.  I  told  him  I  would  if  he  would  give 
me  just  such  an  outfit  as  I  wanted.  He  said  I  am  acting 
now  as  Chief  Engineer,  but  if  the  Government  of  the 
.  United  States  has  got  what  you  want,  if  you  will  go 
you  shall  have  it.  Said  I,  I'll  go.  Well,  said  he, 
what  do  you  want  ?  Said  I,  I  want  a  first-class  suit 
of  citizen's  clothes,  a  gold  watch,  finger  rings,  and 
$1  00  in  gold  and  $50  in  specie,  a  first-class  horse, 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  153 

silver-plated  harness,  and  covered  carriage.  Said  he 
is  that  all  you  want  ?  I  said  yes.  Said  he  you  must 
be  going  to  put  on  style  this  time  ;  you  are  going  to 
take  a  lady  with  jon  I  presume  ?  Yes,  said  I.  Who 
is  it  ?  says  he.  General  Armstrong's  sister. 

I  will  have  all  ready  this  evening,  so  you  can  start 
in  the  morning. 

Early  next  morning  I  was  on  my  way  from  Jack- 
son to  Yan  Buren.  I  went  to  Joe  Lake's  where  Miss 
Armstrong  was  residing,  and  asked  if  she  would  like 
to  take  a  ride  with  me. 

She  said  yes.  Where  are  you  going  ?  I  said  I  am 
not  particular. 

Will  you  take  me  down  to  the  Tallahatchie  ?  I 
want  to  go  there  so  bad. 

Yes,  said  I.  I'll  take  as  fine  a  girl  as  you  are  al- 
most anywhere.  You  be  ready  by  daylight  to-mor- 
row, and  we  will  make  the  route  before  sundown,  it 
being  sixty  miles. 

At  four  P.  M.  the  next  day  we  met  the  rebel  pick- 
ets at  the  Tallahatchie,  who  demanded  a  pass.  Said 
the  lady,  that  is  none  of  your  business  to  demand  a 
pass  when  people  are  going  in,  it  is  your  duty  to  ask 
a  pass  when  they  go  out,  I  am  General  Armstrong's 
sister,  and  know  as  much  about  soldiering  as 
you  do. 

Said  the  picket,  pass  on. 

We  went  to  General  Price's  headquarters  and  re- 
ported ourselves,  and  she  requested  the  General  to 
give  me  a  patrol  pass  for  two  days.  We  separated 
and  I  saw  the  lady  no  more  till  the  afternoon  of  the 
7* 


154  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

next  day,  when  we  met  at  the  same  place,  and  she 
said  she  would  be  ready  to  go  home  the  next  morn- 
ing. 

During  the  interval  I  made  the  most  of  my  patrol 
pass.  I  saw  all  the  works,  measured  the  depth  and 
width  of  the  trenches,  counted  the  guns,  paced  the 
width  of  the  swamp  in  front,  and  estimated  the  number 
of  the  enemy.  Next  morning  we  met  at  headquarters, 
and  obtained  a  pass  reading  as  follows:  "Pickets, 
patrols,  cavalry,  and  guerrilla  squads  will  pass  the 
bearer,  C.  L.  Ruggles,  with  his  horse  and  carriage,  to 
Van  Buren,  Tennessee,  by  command  of  Major-Gen- 
eral Sterling  Price." 

I  moved  on  with  my  female  friend,  and  returned 
her  safe  to  the  depot  where  I  found  her,  and  reported 
to  General  McPherson  at  Jackson,  to  whom  I  turned 
over  my  equipments. 

I  then  gave  him  my  plan  of  attack,  which  I  said 
was  the  only  possible  means  to  get  Price  out  of  his 
position. 

My  plan  was  as  follows  :  Take  a  good  force  of  the 
army  and  plenty  of  artillery,  as  if  to  besiege  the 
place  in  front.  Then  take  the  balance  of  the  army 
and  make  a  right  flank  movement,  crossing  the  river 
at  Zupelo,  and  get  in  the  rear  of  the  fort,  and  as  soon 
as  Price  finds  out  what  is  going  on  he  will  get  out  of 
the  fortifications. 

When  the  troops  moved  down  there  the  attack  was 
made  in  the  very  same  manner  I  had  proposed. 

Grant  moved  on  the  front.  Sherman,  with  forty 
thousand  troops,  made  the  flank  movement,  and  as 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  155 

soon  as  Price  heard  of  Sherman's  marching  he  evacu- 
ated the  place. 

To  get  away  from  Sherman's  onward  march,  it  was 
necessary  to  lighten  their  burdens.  There  was  strewed 
along  in  his  pathway  solid  shot  and  shell,  guns,  can- 
teens, haversacks,  old  hats  and  shoes,  broken  wagons, 
ambulances,  &c.,  &c. 

That  this  trip  was  any  benefit  to  the  Government, 
I  leave  the  reader  to  judge. 


156  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Starts  on  a  trip  for  General  Lauman— His  instructions— A  Confederate 
widow — Discovers  a  squad  of  rebel  soldiers — Captures  part  of  their 
arms— Learns  the  whereabouts  of  guerrillas— Attempt  to  capture  them— 
Guerrillas  escape — Captures  a  prisoner — Cause  of  guerrillas'  escape — 
The  "  General"  and  squad  get  arrested. 

WHEN  General  Hurlbut  took  command  of  the  Dis- 
trict of  Jackson,  with  his  headquarters  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  Brigadier-General  Lauman  took  command  of 
the  post  at  Bolivar. 

On  the  13th  day  of  October,  1862,  General  Lau- 
rnan  sent  for  me  to  report  to  him  for  orders.  I  re- 
ceived instructions  to  take  with  me  a  squad  of  ten 
men,  and  reconnoitre  thoroughly  a  strip  of  country 
that  lay  south  of  Bolivar,  between  the  road  to  Grand 
Junction,  which  would  be  'on  my  right,  and  the  road 
to  Pocahontas,  which  would  be  on  my  left.  I  was 
ordered  to  kill  all  the  guerrillas  that  I  could  find, 
bring  in  all  that  I  had  strong  suspicions  were  guerril- 
las, and  capture  all  the  straggling  rebel  soldiers  and 
arms.  The  General  also  told  me  that  he  would  send 
out  cavalry  on  my  right,  on  the. Grand  Junction  road, 
and,  on  my  left,  on  -the  Pocahontas  road.  He  did 
not  limit  me  in  time,  or  the  distance  to  go,  nor  in- 
struct me  to  take  rations.  I  have  usually,  when  out 
as  a  scout  or  spy,  got  my  subsistence  wherever  I 
went. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  157 

The  men  that  I  selected  to  accompany  me  were 
Sergeants  W.  Gr.  Downs  and  Thomas  Watson,  and 
eight  privates,  all  of  them  from  the  20th  Ohio  Infan- 
try. It  was  nearly  noon  of  the  day  I  received  my  in- 
structions before  we  were  ready  to  march.  The  day 
was  extremely  warm,  and  we  made  but  slow  progress. 
We  did  not  follow  any  road,  but  took  our  way  across 
the  fields  and  woods,  and  examined  all  the  valleys 
that  lay  along  our  route  for  any  signs  that  might  ex- 
ist of  cavalry  or  guerrillas. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  called  at  a 
house  about  eight  miles  from  Bolivar,  which  we  found 
to  be  owned  and  occupied  by  a  widow  lady  by  the 
name  of  Cheshire,  who,  by  the  way,  is  what  might  be 
called  a  Confederate  widow.  Her  husband  had  be- 
longed to  the  Confederate  army,  but  had  deserted. 
He  came  home  and  took  the  oath  of  allegiance,  but, 
unfortunately  for  him,  was  captured  by  the  Confeder- 
ate authorities,  and  the  oath  found  in  his  pocket.  He 
was  carried  back  to  the  rebel  army  and  hung. 

At  Mrs.  Cheshire's  we  procured  our  supper,  which 
was  provided  and  served  up  by  her  with  a  cheerful- 
ness and  willingness  not  characteristic  of  an  enmity 
to  the  Federal  Government.  I  offered  to  pay  her, 
but  she  positively  refused  to  receive  any  compen- 
sation. 

After  we  had  finished  our  supper,  we  moved  a 
mile  and  a  half,  to  Mr.  Campbell's,  where  we  halted 
for  the  night.  Mr.  Campbell  was  absent  from  home, 
but  his  wife  extended  to  us  every  assistance  that  she 
could  to  make  us  comfortable.  She  gave  us  a  room 


158  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

in  the  house  to  occupy  during  the  night,  and  in  the 
morning  a  bountiful  breakfast  was  prepared  for  us, 
of  which  sweet  potatoes  and  chickens  formed  no  in- 
considerable part.  I  offered  to  pay  her,  but  she  re- 
fused to  accept  any  remuneration,  and  expressed 
astonishment  at  the  gentlemanly  behavior  of  the 
whole  party.  She  said  that  it  was  the  first  time  that 
Federal  soldiers  had  ever  visited  her  house,  and  she 
had  heard  that  they  were  nothing  but  a  set  of  thieves 
and  robbers,  and,  for  that  reason,  she  had  been  hap- 
pily disappointed  in  our  behavior. 

Thanking  her  for  her  compliments  and  hospitality, 
we  bade  her  good-morning,  and  resumed  our  march. 
We  had  proceeded  only  about  two  miles,  when  we 
discovered  a  small  squad  of  rebel  soldiers,  in  a  large 
cotton-field,  at  some  distance  in  advance  of  us  and 
to  our  right.  As  soon  as  they  saw  us,  they  broke 
for  the  woods  ;  the  distance  that  they  had  in  advance 
of  us  made  it  useless  for  us  to  pursue. 

Near  the  road,  and  between  where  we  saw  them 
and  ourselves,  stood  a  dwelling-house.  Having  ob- 
served that  but  one  of  the  rebs  had  arms,  the  thought 
occurred  to  me  that  the  others  might  have  left  theirs 
at  the  house,  and  that  our  approach  had  been  dis- 
covered too  late  to  allow  of  a  return  for  them  ;  so  I 
determined  to  institute  a  search.  On  entering,  I 
inquired  of  an  elderly  man  present  if  there  were 
any  arms  about  the  house.  He  said  there  was  not. 
I  told  him  that  I  had  reason  to  believe  that  there 
was.  He  insisted  that  there  was  not.  A  search 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  159 

was  made,  and  three  guns  were  found,  which  we  de- 
stroyed. 

At  night  we  halted  fourteen  miles  from  Bolivar. 
On  former  trips  I  had  learned  that  a  squad  of 
guerrillas  were  stopping  somewhere  in  that  vicinity  ; 
during  the  day  we  had  obtained  a  partial  list  of 
their  names,  and  had  learned  that  they  were  har- 
bored by  a  Mr.  W.  S.  Perry,  who  was  also  supposed 
to  be  one.  This  information  we  gathered  from  the 
people  that  we  saw  in  our  route. 

At  3  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  were  again 
under  way,  on  a  road  leading  direct  to  Mr.  Perry's. 
When  we  had  gone  about  a  mile,  we  came  to  a  farm- 
house, where  I  halted  my  men,  and  aroused  the 
inmates  by  rapping  upon  their  door,  which  was  an- 
swered by,  "Who  is  there?" 

"A  friend,"  I  replied. 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"I  want  you  to  get  up  and  come  to  the  door." 
Hearing  some  one  come  to  the  door,  I  inquired  where 
Mr.  W.  S.  Perry  lived,  and  was  asked : 

"Who are  you?" 

"I  sha'n't tell  you,"  was  my  reply. 

"Then  I  sha'n't  tell  where  Mr.  Perry  lives,"  was 
the  response. 

Fearing  to  make  any  disturbance  that  might  spoil 
my  plans,  I  proceeded  on  my  way,  without  obtaining 
the  desired  information.  At  the  next  house  I  in- 
quired again  for  Mr.  Perry,  but  the  occupant  refused 
to  inform  me.  These  refusals  increased  my  suspicions 


160  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

that  he  was  not  all  right.  Xot  knowing  certainly 
but  that  I  was  already  at  his  house,  I  distributed 
my  men  along  the  negro-quarters  in  the  yard,  to 
capture  any  persons  that  might  attempt  to  escape. 
It  was  time  for  daylight  to  make  its  appearance,  but 
a  dense  fog  had  arisen,  which  made  it  difficult  to 
see. 

Having  arranged  my  men  to  my  satisfaction,  I 
returned  to  the  door  of  the  house,  which  I  found 
open,  and  was  met  by  an  aged  woman,  who  told  me 
that  her  name  was  Tabitha  Perr}^  and  that  she  was 
grandmother  of  W.  S.  Perry,  and  that  W.  S.  Perry 
lived  in  the  next  house. 

While  I  was  engaged  in  conversation  with  the  old 
lady,  two  men  were  seen  to  run  out  of  one  of  the 
outbuildings  that  stood  in  the  yard  ;  the  density  of 
the  fog  prevented  shooting  them,  or  observing  whither 
they  went ;  so  they  made  their  escape.  On  exam- 
ining the  building  they  were  seen  to  emerge  from,  it 
was  found  to  have  the  appearance  of  being  nearly 
filled  with  cotton-seed,  but  in  the  centre  of  the  build- 
ing there  was  a  large  vacant  space,  and  in  it  was  a  bed 
that  was  yet  warm  from  the  animal  heat  of  the  per- 
sons that  had  occupied  it. 

We  then  searched  carefully  all  the  buildings  in 
the  yard,  but  without  success.  From  there  we  went 
to  the  residence  of  W.  S.  Perry,  only  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  residence  of  the  old  lady.  We  found 
Mr.  Perry  at  home,  and  arrested  him.  In  searching 
his  house,  we  found  considerable  quantities  of  goods, 
that  looked  as  if  they  might  have  been  remnants 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  161 

from  some  dry-goods  store  ;  or,  what  is  more  prob- 
able, the  booty  of  some  band  of  outlaws. 

We  captured  at  W.  S.  Perry's  one  horse  and  two 
mules,  and  at  the  old  lady's  house  one  horse  and  one 
mule.  The  bed  that  we  found  in  the  cotton-seed  at 
the  old  lady's  we  gave  to  the  negroes  on  the  place, 
except  two  quilts  that  we  used  to  put  on  the  mules' 
backs,  to  ride  on. 

Very  much  against  Mr.  Perry's  wishes,  I  com- 
pelled him  to  furnish  myself  and  my  men  with  break- 
fast, which  was  no  more,  perhaps,  than  he  would 
have  done  willingly  to  as  many  guerrillas,  if  we  had 
not  been  seen  in  the  neighborhood. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  we  commenced  our  re- 
turn to  camp,  taking  with  us  our  prisoner  and  cap- 
tured property.  The  men  were  much  in  need  of 
saddles  and  bridles,  with  which  to  ride  the  captured 
mules  and  horses,  and  requested  the  privilege  of 
taking  them  if  they  could  be  found;  to  which  I 
consented,  providing  they  could  be  fouud  on  the 
premises  of  the  man  who  refused  to  give  me  infor- 
mation about  Perry.  The  man's  name,  I  had  learned, 
was  Dougherty. 

When  we  arrived  at  Dougherty's  place,  we  halted, 
and  the  men  commenced  to  search  for  saddles  and 
bridles,  and,  in  a,  few  minutes,  reported  to  me  that 
they  had  found  twelve  United  States  army  saddles  and 
as  many  bridles.  I  told  them  to  take  five  of  them. 
Dougherty  remonstrated,  but  the  men  told  him  that 
he  had  no  business  with  that  kind  of  property  in  his 
possession,  and  took  them  along. 


162  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

On  our  way  back  to  Bolivar,  I  learned  the  reason 
why  we  did  not  find  any  more  guerrillas  at  Perry's. 
A  colored  boy,  belonging  to  Mr.  William  Moore,  of 
Yan  Buren,  had  been  sent  to  mill,  and,  while  on  his 
way,  he  happened  to  see  us.  On  his  return,  he  told 
his  master  that  he  had  seen  some  Yankee  soldiers 
in  the  woods,  and  that  they  were  going  south.  Dr. 
Tansey  Russel,  a  man  of  disloyal  proclivities,  hap- 
pened to  be  present,  and  heard  what  the  colored 
boy  said.  The  doctor  had  some  Enfield  and  Whit- 
ney rifles  in  his  possession,  that  he  had  managed  to 
get  of  unprincipled  Federal  soldiers,  which  he  had 
collected  for  the  benefit  of  the  guerrillas.  As  soon 
as  he  heard  of  the  Yankee  soldiers  being  in  the 
woods,  he  concluded,  readily  enough,  what  their 
business  was  ;  so  he  took  his  guns,  eight  in  all,  and 
carried  them  over  to  Perry's,  and  gave  them  to  the 
guerrillas,  and  warned  them  that  there  were  Yan- 
kee scouts  in  the  vicinity.  There  was  eleven  of 
them,  besides  W.  S.  Perry.  On  hearing  about  the 
scouts,  they  all  left  and  went  to  Saulsbury,  except 
W.  S.  Perry,  John  Shaw,  and  Gid.  Galloway.  The 
two  latter  were  the  persons  that  escaped  from  the 
outbuilding  in  the  old  lady's  yard. 

When  we  arrived  within  six  miles  of  Bolivar,  I 
sent  the  five  men  that  were  not  mounted  across  the 
country,  by  the  shortest  route,  to  camp,  and  the  rest 
of  us  went  on  by  way  of  the  road.  At  Mr.  Law- 
horn's,  near  Dunlap's  Springs,  we  halted  a  short 
time,  and  three  of  us  went  into  the  house.  Mr. 
Lawhorn  was  absent  from  home.  One  of  the  men 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  163 

asked  Mrs.  Lawliorn  for  some  milk,  which  she  re- 
fused, saying  that  she  had  none.  From  the  colored 
people  about  the  house  the  man  learned  that  she 
had  milk  in  abundance,  and  where  it  was,  of  which 
he  helped  himself,  and  then  passed  some  to  the  rest 
of  the  squad.  None  was  wasted  and  nothing  else  was 
disturbed. 

Having  rested  ourselves,  we  went  on  to  Bolivar. 
I  immediately  turned  over  my  prisoner  to  the  Pro- 
vost-martial, Lieutenant  W.  S.  Dewey.  I  also 
gave  him  a  list  of  the  names  of  those  that  I  had 
been  informed  were  guerrillas.  It  was  afternoon 
when  we  arrived,  and  we  had  eaten  nothing  since 
breakfast,  and,  being  very  hungry,  I  took  my  men 
into  camp  to  get  my  dinner,  before  reporting  to  Gen- 
eral Lauman.  On  my  arrival  in  camp,  I  told  Col- 
onel Force  what  property  I  had  brought  in,  and 
asked  him  what  I  had  better  do  with  it,  and  was 
told  to  turn  it  over  to  the  post  Quartermaster.  I 
told  him  that  I  would,  as  soon  as  I  had  eaten  some 
dinner. 

I  had  taken  my  dinner,  and  was  on  my  way  to 
see  about  turning  over  the  captured  property,  when 
I  was  met  by  some  guards,  with  an  order  from  Lieu- 
tenant W.  S.  Dewey,  Provost-martial,  to  arrest  me. 
I  accompanied  them  to  the  Provost-martial's  office, 
where  I  found  Lieutenant  Dewey,  in  a  dreadful  rage. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me  ?"  I  asked. 

"  I  want  to  hang  you,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  rob- 
bers that  were  with  you  !"  was  his  reply. 

"What  is  that  for  ?" 


164  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  For  going  through  the  country  and  deceiving  the 
people,  and  representing  yourself  as  a  citizen  of  Ten- 
nessee." 

"I  have  never  been  through  the  country,  except 
as  I  have  been  sent  on  scouts  by  my  commanding 
officer." 

"  I'll  scout  you !  I'll  scalp  you !  What's  the  name 
of  the  men  that  belong  to  your  band  ?" 

"  I  haven't  got  any  band." 

"  What's  the  names  of  the  men  that  were  out  with 
you  ?" 

I  then  gave  him  a  list  of  the  men  that  accompa- 
nied me,  and  was  then  ordered  to  be  put  in  the  guard- 
house. The  court-room  of  the  court-house  was  used 
as  a  guard-house.  The  Provost-marshal's  office  was 
in  one  of  the  lower  rooms  of  the  court-house. 

The  Provost-marshal  had  all  the  men  that  had  been 
with  me  arrested,  and  when  he  had  got  us  all  together 
in  the  guard-house,  we  were  marched,  under  guard, 
into  his  office.  Addressing  us,  he  said  : 

"  There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  stealing  and  rob- 
bing going  on  in  the  country  about  here,  lately,  and  I 
believe  that  you  are  the  men  that  have  done  it,  and  I 
mean  to  make  an  example  of  you,  and  I  shall  use  my 
utmost  endeavors  to  have  every  man  of  you  shot," 

"What  have  we  done,"  I  inquired,  "that  you 
should  have  such  an  awful  antipathy  against  us  ?" 

1 '  You  will  see  when  I  make  out  my  charges  and 
specifications.  Guards,  take  them  back  to  the  guard- 
house." 

When  back  in  the  guard-house,  and  left  to  reflec- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  165 

tion,  the  words,  "  I  shall  use  my  utmost  endeavors  to 
have  you  shot,"  seemed  to  force  themselves  upon  my 
mind  with  vivid  impression.  What  could  it  mean, 
that  an  officer  in  the  United  States  army  should  ex- 
press himself  so  emphatically,  against  us,  when  jus- 
tice everywhere  holds  a  man  to  be  innocent  until  he 
is  proved  to  be  guilty. 

While  I  had  been  in  camp  getting  my  dinner,  the 
Provost-marshal  had  released  Mr.  Perry,  and  had 
administered  to  him  the  oath  of  allegiance,  and  re- 
turned to  him  the  property  that  we  had  taken.  On 
being  released,  Mr.  Perry  found  Doctor  Kussel,  Par- 
son Hamers,  and  Mr.  Lawhorn — who  happened  to  be 
in  town  at  the  time — and,  in  company  with  them, 
went  to  the  Provost-marshal,  (who  tolerated  their 
complaints),  and  fabricated  such  statements  as  they 
chose  to  make  against  us,  and  upon  those  statements 
the  Provost-marshal  based  his  charges  and  caused  our 
arrest. 

It  was  humiliating  in  the  extreme,  for  us,  after 
having  served  our  country  with  devoted  patriotism, 
and  imperilled  our  lives  for  its  preservation,  to  be  thus 
made  the  victims  of  revenge  by  those  who  we  knew 
were  at  enmity  with  the  G  overnment. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  I  once  arrested 
Parson  Hamers,  while  standing  picket  for  the  enemy, 
and  released  him.  Doctor  Russel,  I  had  learned  from 
reliable  sources,  had  been  engaged  in  contraband 
trade  between  Federal  soldiers  and  guerrillas.  Mr. 
Lawhorn  had  tried  to  induce  one  of  the  men  under 
arrest  with  me  to  desert,  and,  to  prevent  suspicion 


166  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

of  desertion,  offered  to  carry  him  in  his  own  carriage 
to  a  rebel  paroling  officer,  and  get  him  paroled  and 
bring  him  back.  Perry  had  been  captured  on  suspi- 
cion of  being  a  guerrilla.  Such  were  the  men  that 
were  allowed  to  make  statements  against  me. 

It  is  easy  to  conceive  how  such  men  would  connive 
together  for  the  injury  of  Federal  soldiers,  if  they 
could  only  get  the  military  authorities  to  tolerate, 
their  complaints  and  give  them  a  hearing.  Under 
such  a  state  of  affairs,  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for 
any  disloyal  citizen  to  cause  the  imprisonment  of  any 
soldier,  however  spotless  his  record. 

When  men  are  mean  enough  to  attempt  the  de- 
struction of  the  fairest  and  the  best  Government  that 
ever  existed,  and  to  insult  that  national  emblem  which 
has  called  forth  the  honor  and  respect  of  the  world, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  they  should  resort  to  falsehood, 
or  any  other  vile  means,  to  wreak  their  vengeance 
upon  those  that  love  their  country. 

It  was  extremely  unfortunate  for  us  that  we  were 
thus  imprisoned  during  the  command  of  a  temporary 
post-commander,  to  whom  I  was  an  entire  stranger, 
and  that,  too,  at  a  time  when  a  new  and  extensive 
campaign  was  about  to  commence. 

The  charge  and  specifications,  as  preferred  against 
us,  were  very  informal,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  any 
court-martial  would  have  attempted  a  trial  based  on 
such  informalities.  But,  nevertheless,  contrary  to  all 
rules  and  regulations  of  war,  this  Provost-marshal 
claimed  that  there  were  grounds  for  charges,  and  we 
were  arrested  and  placed  in  confinement. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  167 


CHAPTER  XY. 

Assistance  of  friends — Fails  to  get  a  trial — Gloomy  prospects — Evidence 
accumulates — Guard-house  incident — The  "  General"  concludes  to  help 
himself— Narrow  escape  from  guerrillas — The  capture — Reaches  his 
regiment — Himself  and  squad  released. 

ON  the  28th  day  of  November,  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  commenced  to  move  from  Lagrange,  on  its 
campaign  into  the  State  of  Mississippi,  and  with  it 
was  crushed  all  hope  of  our  immediate  trial.  With 
the  movement  of  the  army,  the  court-martial  had  been 
dismissed,  and  our  witnesses,  friends,  and  counsel 
scattered  beyond  a  probability  of  rendering  us  any 
assistance  for  a  long  time  ;  and,  to  make  the  matter 
still  more  unpleasant,  we  were  confined  in  a  dirty, 
filthy  building,  extremely  loathsome  and  unhealthy, 
and  too  small  for  the  number  of  men  confined. 

During  our  confinement,  up  to  the  time  the  army 
moved,  evidence  continued  to  accumulate  in  our  favor. 
The  list  of  guerrillas  that  I  had  given  to  the  Provost- 
marshal,  he  had  destroyed  the  same  day  that  it  was 
handed  to  him.  During  our  confinement,  W.  S.  Per- 
ry, and  all  the  persons  named  in  the  list  that  I  gave 
him,  were  captured  by  a  detachment  of  the  7th  Kan- 
sas Cavalry  and  sent  North  as  guerrillas,  showing 
conclusively  that  I  had  not  been  mistaken  in  suppos- 


1G8  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

ing  them  such.  In  taking  their  property,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances that  I  found  it,  I  did  no  more  than  any 
detachment  of  troops  would  have  done  under  the  same 
instructions. 

The  property  found  at  W.  S.  Perry's  was  evidently 
plunder  that  had  been  seized  by  himself  and  band. 
The  specifications  against  us  were  grossly  false.  What 
property  we  did  take,  I  was  making  arrangements  to 
turn  over  to  the  Quartermaster  when  I  was  arrested, 
showing  conclusively  that  I  did  not  take  it  for  my 
personal  benefit. 

The  lady  that  we  were  charged  with  having  fright- 
ened, not  one  of  us  had  ever  seen  ;  neither  had  we 
ever  been  nearer  than  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  Mr. 
Hendrick's  house.  Mrs.  Cheshire  visited  us  twice 
while  we  were  confined  at  Bolivar,  and  spoke  very 
complimentary  of  our  behavior  while  at  her  house, 
and  assured  us  that  we  need  not  feel  at  all  uneasy 
about  the  charge  of  frightening  Mrs.  Goforth,  because 
that  it  could  easily  be  proven  that  "  her  husband  was 
in  the  rebel  army,  and  had  not  been  home  for'  more 
than  a  year!"  Doctor  Eussel  was  the  man  that 
trumped  up  the  charges  about  Mrs.  Goforth.  A  sol- 
dier by  the  name  of  William  Goodheart,  of  the  20th 
Ohio  Regiment,  visited  Dr.  Russel,  one  day,  and,  in 
the  course  of  conversation,  remarked,  "  Doctor,  you 
have  got  some  of  the  Yankee  soldiers  in  .rather  a 
tight  place,  haven't  you?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  had  some  of  them  shut  up  awhile." 

"  Well,  it  will  be  apt  to  go  pretty  hard  with  them, 
won't  it  ?" 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  169 

"No,  I  think  not.  I  don't  expect  to  prove  any- 
thing against  them.  They  will  probably  get  clear  in 
the  end ;  but  it  will  keep  Ruggles  from  running  all 
over  the  country  and  representing  himself  as  a  citi- 
zen of  the  State  of  Tennessee." 

Parson  Hamers,  in  specification  seventh,  accuses  me 
of  stealing  his  watch,  but  neglects  to  fix  the  date  of 
the  theft.  He  afterward  fixed  the  date  as  the  30th  of 
September.  My  company  commander  was  able  to 
show  that  I  was  in  camp  on  the  29th  and  30th  of  Sep- 
tember and  on  the  1st  of  October.  In  a  conversation 
with  Parson  Hamers,  had  in  the  presence  of  Sergeant 
E.  W.  Quackenbush,  of  the  20th  Ohio  Regiment,  a 
few  days  before  I  was  arrested,  he  spoke  of  having 
had  his  watch  stolen,  and  said  that  he  was  so  sick  at 
the  time  that  he  did  not  know  who  took  it. 

During  our  confinement  we  were  under  the  custody 
of  four  different  Provost-marshals.  As  a  general 
thing,  we  met  with  kind  treatment  from  those  that 
were  guarding  us,  and  oftentimes,  through  the  kind- 
ness of  officers  and  men,  we  received  favors  not  usu- 
ally given  to  soldiers  under  arrest.  There  were  a  few 
exceptions  to  our  kind  treatment,  and  I  wrill  narrate 
an  incident  illustrative  of  it : 

The  whole  number  of  prisoners  confined  in  the 
guard-house  at  the  time  I  allude  to,  including  my  own 
squad,  \vas  forty-three,  and  we  all  occupied  the  same 
room.  Among  the  prisoners  confined  with  us  was  a 
very  young  soldier — a  mere  boy — by  the  name  of 
George  Stevenson,  of  the  78th  Ohio.  He  had  been 
in  confinement  much  longer  than  myself  and  squad, 
8 

• 


170  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

and  was  noted  for  being  decidedly  a  "  hard  case." 
His  recklessness  sometimes  caused  restrictions  to  be 
placed  upon  all  confined,  thereby  causing  the  inno- 
cent to  suffer  for  the  guilty. 

One  night,  George  took  a  rail  from  off  the  banis- 
ters that  surrounded  the  stairway,  and  placed  it  from 
the  portico  in  front  of  the  court-house  into  a  tree  that 
stood  close  by,  and,  by  that  means,  got  out  of  the 
guard-house  unobserved  by  the  guard,  and  spent  the 
evening  in  town.  On  his  return,  he  neglected  to  take 
the  rail  away.  In  the  morning  the  officer  of  the  guard 
discovered  it,  and  concluded  correctly  what  it  had 
been  placed  there  for.  He  commenced  an  inquiry  of 
the  prisoners  to  find  out  who  put  it  there.  None  of 
the  boys  would  acknowledge  having  done  it.  Several 
told  him  that  they  supposed  George  had  done  it. 
George  denied  it,  and  nobody  had  seen  him  do 
it. 

The  officer  would  not  take  suppositions  as  to  who 
did  it,  but  told  us  that  he  should  hold  us  all  responsi- 
ble for  a  correct  report  of  who  did  it,  and  would  give 
us  till  roll-call  at  night  to  find  out ;  and  at  that  time, 
if  we  did  not  report,  we  should  all  live  on  nothing  but 
bread  and  water  until  we  did. 

We  told  him  that  we  had  already  said  all  that  we 
knew  about  it,  and  that  we  did  not  feel  like  submit- 
ting to  punishment  as  a  body  for  the  acts  of  an  indi- 
vidual. Roll-call  came,  but  nobody  was  able  to  re- 
port. We  were  then  told  by  the  officer  that  we  should 
have  nothing  but  bread  and  water  until  we  reported 
who  did  it, 


f 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  171 

During  the  night,  the  boys  took  several  pocket- 
handkerchiefs  and  made  a  black  flag,  about  three  feet 
square,  and  fastened  it  to  a  long  strip  of  moulding, 
which  they  tore  off  from  the  woodwork  of  the  room, 
and  hoisted  it  upon  the  top  of  the  court-house  cupola. 
In  the  morning  it  attracted  everybody's  attention  by 
its  disgusting  appearance,  as  it  floated  from  the  most 
conspicuous  place  in  town.  It  created  universal  in- 
dignation throughout  the  town. 

The  officer  of  the  guard  came  up  and  ordered  us  to 
take  it  down.  We  replied  that  as  long  as  we  had  to 
subsist  upon  bread  and  water,  it  was  the  flag  that  we 
rallied  under.  He  then  ordered  the  guards  to  make 
us  remove  it.  As  they  were  attempting  to  come  up 
the  stairs,  George,  who  had  armed  himself  with  an 
armful  of  bricks  from  the  fireplace  in  the  room, 
opened  fire  upon  them  from  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
which  made  them  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  the  officer 
could  not  induce  them  to  renew  the  attempt.  In  about 
half  an  hour,  a  detail  came,  armed,  not  with  guns  and 
bayonets,  but  with  messpans  and  kettles,  filled  with 
soft  bread,  beefsteak,  and  coffee.  It  is  needless  to 
add,  the  "  additional  re-enforcements"  compelled  us  to 
"  surrender"  and  take  down  the  flag.  As  long  as  we 
remained  in  charge  of  that  officer,  we  continued  to  re- 
ceive an  abundance  of  good,  wholesome  rations. 

During  our  confinement  in  the  guard-house  at  Bol- 
ivar, quite  a  number  of  rebel  soldiers,  that  had  been 
captured  by  the  Federal  cavalry,  were  temporarily- 
confined  with  us.  Several  of  them  were  men  that 
belonged  to  the  2d  Arkansas  Cavalry,  and  I  had  be- 


172  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

come  acquainted  with  them  during  the  time  that  I  was 
with  that  regiment. 

On  the  3d  day  of  December,  1862,  five  days  after 
the  army  had  advanced  from  Lagrange,  I  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  I  had  been  confined  long  enough, 
and  that  my  only  way  of  getting  myself  and  men  re- 
leased, without  delay,  would  be  to  visit  in  person  my 
commanding  officers,  and  lay  the  case  before  them. 
One  inducement  that  I  had  was,  I  had  learned  that 
there  were  no  papers  in  the  hands  of  the  Provost- 
marshal  with  charges  against  us.  They  had  either 
become  lost,  or,  what  is  more  probable,  were  returned 
to  the  officer  that  preferred  them,  on  account  of  in- 
formalities. In  the  absence  of  such  papers,  I  felt 
convinced  that  I  could  get  an  order  for  the  release 
of  myself  and  men.  It  was  an  unmilitary  way  of 
doing  business,  but,  nevertheless,  I  resolved  to  leave 
the  guard-house,  without  authority,  to  obtain  authority 
for  my  release  and  that  of  my  men. 

We  had  been  in  confinement  fifty  days,  and  before 
I  could  reach  the  army  it  would  be  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  from  Lagrange.  It  was  a  great  under* 
taking  to  leave  the  guard-house  without  authority, 
and,  without  rations,  to  run  a  gauntlet  of  that  dis- 
tance through  Federal  pickets  and  railroad  guards, 
stationed  at  frequent  intervals  along  the  whole  route, 
every  one  of  whom  would  halt  me  to  examine  my  pass, 
or  would  turn  me  back  if  without  one. 

Sergeant  T.  J.  Watson  volunteered  to  go  with  me. 
How  we  got  out  of  the  guard-house  it  is  not  necessary 
for  me  to  mention.  From  Lagrange  we  took  a  south- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  1*73 

east  course,  across  the  country  toward  Davis7  Mills  ; 
we  struck  the  railroad  where  the  wagon  road  crosses 
it.  There  we  found  some  pickets,  belonging  to  a  de- 
tachment of  five  companies  stationed  at  Davis'  Mills, 
under  command  of  a  Major,  and  charged  with  guard- 
ing a  portion  of  the  railroad.  At  the  time  we  ap- 
proached them,  they  were  all,  except  the  sentry,  en- 
gaged in  cooking  a  part  of  a  fat  porker  that  they  had 
confiscated  during  the  night.  We  halted  and  entered 
into  conversation  with  the  boys,  as  though  we  had  no 
intention  of  going  on.  Having  finished  their  cooking, 
they  asked  us  to  eat  with  them,  which  we  were  no 
way  backward  about  doing.  We  finished  our  break- 
fast, and  were  about  starting  on,  when  the  sentry, 
who  had  been  more  attentive  to  duty  than  we  had 
hoped,  asked  us  if  we  had  passes.  I  told  him  we  had 
not,  and  that  we  were  on  our  way  to  the  front,  and 
had  not  been  asked  for  passes  before,  and  did  not 
know  as  it  was  necessary  to  have  them.  With  that 
explanation,  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  let  us  pass, 
but  told  us  that  it  would  not  do  to  let  the  Captain  in 
command  see  us. 

Not  liking  to  run  our  chances  with  him,  we  crossed 
the  railroad  and  left  it  to  our  right,  and  crossed 
Davis'  Creek  on  a  log,  and,  a  short  distance  from  the 
creek,  turned  to  our  right,  so  as  to  reach  the  bridge 
across  Wolf  River,  near  Davis'  Mills.  As  we  were 
passing  through  the  cleared  fields,  I  discovered  to 
my  left,  on  a  rise  in  the  ground,  a  squad  of  guerrillas, 
mounted  on  horses.  We  were  within  easy  shot 
of  them.  We  were  then  within  half  a  mile  of  the 


174  •  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

detachment  camped  at  Davis'  Mills ;  they  probably 
did  not  wish  to  alarm  the  Federal  pickets.  They 
had  evidently  discovered  us  first,  and  were  watching 
for  an  opportunity  to  "  gobble  us  up.'7 

"Tom,"  said  I  to  the  sergeant,  "what  kind  of  sol- 
diers do  you  call  them  ?" 

"What  kind  are  they,  Bunker?" 

"  They  are  a  band  of  guerrillas,  and  they  will  have 
us  in  less  than  a  minute,  if  we  don't  get  away  from 
here." 

Just  then  the  guerrillas  started  for  us. 

"Come  on,  Bunker;  for  God's  sake,  let  us  run!" 
said  Tom.  "  They  are  coming  now !" 

Turning  square  to  the  right,  away  we  went,  as 
hard  as  we  could  run,  toward  Davis'  Creek.  A  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  brought  us  to  a  dense  growth 
of  brush  and  briars,  so  thick  as  to  seem  impene- 
trable. There  was  no  getting  around  it,  for  our  pur- 
suers were  close  upon  us.  With  all  the  strength  we 
could  muster,  we  sprang  into  that  briar  patch  and 
scrambled  through.  It  was  no  time  to  mind  scratches, 
and  so  we  dashed  on  to  the  creek.  Our  pursuers 
could  not  get  their  horses  through  the  briars,  and 
before  they  could  get  round  them,  we  were  across 
the  creek.  We  made  our  way  to  Davis'  cotton- 
gin,  where  we  found  a  picket  post.  A  few  paces 
from  the  post,  the  guerrillas  were  in  sight,  I  showed 
them  to  the  pickets,  and  told  them  I  would  go  and  re- 
port the  guerrillas  to  the  Major  in  command. 

Having  found  the  Major,  I  said :"  Major,  there 
are  about  thirty  guerrillas  just  across  Davis'  Creek, 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  175 

not  half  a  mile  from  here,  and  if  you  will  get  out 
your  men,  you  can  surround  them  and  capture  them." 

"  Who  are  you?"  he  inquired. 

"I  am  a  scout  for  the  Government." 

"  Where  are  you  from?" 

"  Why  I  am  right  from  the  guerrillas,"  said  I, 
getting  out  of  patience  ;  "they  have  just  chased  me 
through  a  briar  patch.  Look  at  my  hands  and  face, 
if  you  want  any  evidence  of  it.  You  can  see  the 
guerrillas  from  the  cotton-gin." 

"  Who  is  that  man  with  you?" 

"  Which  is  of  the  most  importance,  Major,  for  me  to 
sit  down  and  tell  you  my  history,  or  for  you  to  get 
out  your  men  and  capture  those  guerrillas  ?" 

By  this  time  the  pickets  had  become  alarmed,  and 
sent  in  for  support.  The  long  roll  began  to  beat,  and 
everything  was  excitement.  Then  was  my  time  to 
get  away. 

"Come  on,  Tom,"  said  I  to  the  Sergeant;  "we 
must  pass  the  pickets  at  Wolf  River  Bridge  during 
the  confusion  incident  to  this  alarm,  or  we  will  not 
get  away  from  here  without  trouble." 

As  I  had  expected,  the  confusion  enabled  us  to  get 
by  the  pickets  at  the  bridge.  We  continued  on  until 
about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  we  were 
halted  by  a  railroad  guard.  The  guard  allowed  us 
to  come  up,  and  we  stayed  at  the  post  all  night. 
Before  we  went  to  sleep,  a  messenger  came  along  on 
a  hand-car,  with  orders  to  double  the  guards  during 
the  night,  for  an  attack  on  the  railroad  was  intended, 
and  that  thirty  guerrillas  had  already  been  captured 


176  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

at  Davis'  Mills,  and  that  more  were  supposed  to  be  in 
the  vicinity. 

At  daylight  I  tried  my  persuasive  influence  upon 
the  guards,  and  succeeded  in  getting  leave  to  pass. 
From  that  on  we  had  very  little  difficulty  in  passing 
the  guards.  When  we  had  gone  about  half  a  mile, 
we  met  six  rebel  soldiers,  of  the  8th  Kentucky  Regi- 
ment, on  their  way  to  give  themselves  up.  They  had 
become  tired  of  the  rebellion,  and  were  anxious  to 
return  to  their  homes.  From  them  I  learned  that  a 
raid  upon  Holly  Springs  was  in  contemplation  by  the 
forces  of  Generals  Van  Dorn  and  Tighlman.  The 
rebel  deserters  were  so  candid  in  their  statements 
that  I  deemed  them  reliable  ;  and  when  we  reached 
Waterford,  where  General  Ross'  division  was  en- 
camped, I  called  at  his  headquarters,  to  report  what 
I  had  learned.  General  Ross  was  absent,  so  I  re- 
ported to  the  Adjutant-General.  We  then  resumed 
our  journey,  and  in  five  days  from  the  time  we  left 
Lagrange,  we  reached  our  regiment,  then  at  Oxford, 
Miss. 

I  immediately  reported  to  Colonel  Force,  who  in- 
quired if  I  had  been  released  from  the  guard-house. 

I  said,  "  No,  sir  ;  we  ran  away." 

"  Well,  Bunker,  I  am  sorry  to  say  it :  I  can't  har- 
bor you  in  my  regiment." 

"  I  suppose,  then,  Colonel,  that  the  best  thing  that 
we  can  do  is  to  get  away  from  here  ;  ain't  it  ?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  but  it  is." 

I  then  left  him  and  went  to  General  Leggett,  com- 
manding the  brigade,  and. told  him  the  situation  of  af- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  177 

fairs.  He  told  me  that  we  need  not  go  back  to  the 
guard-house,  and  that  we  might  stay  with  the  regi- 
ment. I  told  him  that  I  did  not  wish  to  stay,  unless 
the  men  of  my  squad  were  released.  He  assured  me 
that  they  should  be,  and  immediately  went  in  person 
to  Major-General  McPherson  and  explained  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs  to  him.  He  issued  an  order  releasing 
the  whole  of  us.  When  the  order  reached  the  men 
in  the  guard-house,  they  had  been  in  confinement 
fifty-eight  days.  They  reached  the  regiment  when  it 
was  encamped  about  three  miles  south  of  the  Yacona 
River. 

During  our  confinement,  very  much  interest  and 
sympathy  was  manifested  for  us  by  both  officers  and 
men,  and  many  of  them  rendered  us  valuable  assist- 
ance. To  General  M.  D.  Leggett  and  Colonel  M.  F. 
Force,  and  to  Captains  F.  M.  Shaklee,  E.  C.  Downs, 
and  B.  A.  F.  Greer,  of  the  20th  Ohio,  we  are  under 
very  great  obligations ;  and  to  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  78th  Ohio  and  the  17th  Illinois  Regiments, 
who  guarded  us  during  the  greater  part  of  our  con- 
finement, I  will  here  take  the  opportunity  to  express, 
in  behalf  of  myself  and  squad,  sincere  and  heartfelt 
thanks  for  their  kindness  and  assistance. 


178  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Starts  for  Grenada— Instructions— Is  captured— Returns  to  Water  Valley 
— Starts  again — Arrives  at  Grenada — Condition  of  Price's  army — He 
returns — Again  sent  to  Grenada — Proposes  some  fun — Plan  of  strategy 
— Plan  unnecessary — Returns  with  rebel  cavalry — Bivouac  at  Big 
Springs — The  attack — More  fun  than  bargained  for — The  result. 

SOON  after  I  joined  my  regiment,  the  army  ad- 
vanced to  the  Yacona  River,  and  the  brigade  to  which 
I  belonged  was  made  the  advanced  post  of  infantry, 
and  was  stationed  three  miles  south  of  the  river.  I 
had  been  with  the  brigade  but  a  few  days,  when  Gen- 
eral Leggett  requested  me  to  make  a  trip  to  Grenada, 
a  distance  of  thirty-two  miles. 

As  General  Grant's  army  had  advanced,  General 
Price's  army  had  been  forced  back,  and  the  move- 
ments of  the  Federal  forces  had  been  so  skillfully 
managed  as  to  cause  Price,  after  evacuating  his  strong 
position  at  the  Tallahatchie  River,  to  make  a  hasty 
and  rapid  retreat  to  Grenada,  which  place  he  then 
occupied. 

General  Leggett  wanted  me  to  find  out  the  strength 
and  condition  of  Price's  army ;  of  what  his  force  con- 
sisted, and  if  possible,  what  were  his  intended  move- 
ments. 

I  started  out  on  foot,  disguised  like  a  rebel  soldier, 
with  a  pass  to  Major-General  Lee,  formerly  Colonel 
of  the  7th  Kansas  Cavalry,  who  was  stationed  five 
miles  in  advance  of  the  infantry,  at  a  railroad  station 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  179 

called  Water  Valley.  I  carried  with  me  a  request 
to  General  Lee  that  he  would  pass  me  through  his 
lines,  if  it  would  not  interfere  with  his  arrangements. 
The  General  detained  me  over  night,  and  then  passed 
me  through. 

I  went  on  through  Cofferville,  and  to  within  a  mile 
of  Grenada,  without  being  molested.  Not  liking  to 
venture  in  on  the  direct  road  from  Water  Yalley,  I 
turned  to  my  left  when  within  a  mile  of  the  place, 
calculating  to  enter  the  town  on  some  other  road.  I 
had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance,  when  I  met  three 
soldiers,  dressed  exactly  like  rebel  soldiers,  who  cap- 
tured me  and  made  me  turn  back. 

When  we  came  back  to  the  Water  Yalley  road,  I 
was  surprised  to  find  that  I  was  being  taken  toward 
Water  Yalley  instead  of  Grenada.  I  then  found  that 
I  had  been  captured  by  soldiers  belonging  to  the  Tth 
Kansas  Cavalry.  I  tried  to  make  them  believe  that 
I  was  a  Federal  soldier,  and  was  scouting  for  the 
Government,  but  it  was  of  no  avail ;  they  were  not  to 
be  persuaded  out  of  their  prisoner. 

We  had  travelled  but  a  few  hundred  yards  after 
taking  the  Water  Yalley  road,  when  we  met  a  negro, 
who  was  riding  a  splendid  mule,  with  a  nice  saddle, 
bridle,  and  spurs,  and  was  carrying  on  the  mule,  in 
front  of  him,  a  sack  of  corn  meal. 

"Halt,  you  smoked  Yankee,"  said  one  of  the  sol- 
diers. "Get  off  from  that  mule  and  let  white  folks 
ride !" 

The  negro  dismounted  and  turned  over  his  estab- 
lishment to  me,  and  then,  shouldering  his  meal,  he 


180  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

resumed  his  way.  I  mounted  the  mule  with  a  light 
heart,  hoping  that  General  Lee  would  permit  me  to 
retain  it. 

When  we  arrived  at  Water  Yalley,  I  was  taken  to 
General  Lee,  who,  on  inquiring  of  the  soldiers  where 
they  caught  me,  elicited  the  fact  that  they  had  ran 
away  from  camp  and  gone  to  Grenada  without  leave. 

"Go  to  your  quarters,  men,"  said  the  General; 
"  I'll  take  care  of  your  prisoner  now,  and  take  care 
of  you  in  the  morning." 

The  next  morning  I  started  again  for  Grenada, 
mounted  on  the  mule  taken  from  the  negro  the  night 
before,  with  a  letter  to  Captain  Townsend,  who  had 
been  sent  to  the  vicinity  of  Cofferville,  during  the 
night,  with  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  requesting  him, 
if  admissible,  to  pass  me  on.  On  reporting  to  the 
Captain,  he  informed  me  that  he  had  men  deployed 
all  through  the  country  about  Cofferville,  watching  for 
rebel  scouts  and  stragglers,  and  that  it  would  be  haz- 
ardous for  me  to  undertake  to  get  through,  and  advised 
me  to  remain  with  him  until  his  men  came  in  before 
attempting  to  go  on. 

It  was  so  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  cavalry 
came  in  that  I  concluded  to  remain  with  the  Captain 
all  night.  In  the  morning  I  resumed  my  journey,  and 
at  one  o'clock  P.  M.,  without  having  experienced  any 
difficulty  in  passing  the  rebel  pickets,  I  entered  Gre- 
nada. 

The  first  thing  that  attracted  my  attention  was  the 
suffering  and  destitute  condition  of  the  infantry  and 
artillery  soldiers.  Very  many  of  them  were  lame 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  181 

and  foot-sore.  Hundreds  of  them  were  bare-footed, 
and  very  many  of  them  were  bare-headed,  and  all  of 
them  more  or  less  ragged  and  destitute  of  blankets. 
Sickness  prevailed  to  a  great  extent.  The  soldiers 
were  loud  in  pronouncing  curses  upon  General  Sher- 
man, whom  they  represented  as  having  brought  on 
much  of  their  suffering  by  attempting  to  execute  a 
flank  movement  upon  them  while  in  their  intrench- 
ments  at  the  Tallahatchie  River,  which  caused  them  to 
make  a  precipitate  retreat  to  Grenada. 

A  sergeant,  in  describing  to  me  the  retreat,  said : 
"So  closely  were  we  pressed,  that  while  camping  at 
Water  Valley  for  the  night,  after  a  hard  day's  march, 
we  undertook  to  get  some  breakfast  before  resuming 
our  march  in  the  morning,  and  had  hardly  commenced 
when  the  Yankees  commenced  shelling  us,  and  we 
had  to  leave.  We  then  marched  to  the  vicinity  of 
Grenada,  and  there  worked  several  hours  at  cutting 
down  timber  and  forming  abattis,  to  protect  us  from 
the  Yankee  cavalry,  before  resting  long  enough  to 
get  any  thing  to  eat." 

From  such  hardships  and  exposures,  and  the  pre- 
vailing destitution  of  clothing  at  the  worst  season  of 
the  year,  the  men  had  become  sick  and  disheartened. 
Artillery  horses  were  in  as  bad  a  condition  as  the 
men,  having  been  worked  and  short-fed  until  nearly 
starved.  Large  numbers  of  sick,  lame,  and  foot-sore 
men  were  being  sent  on  the  cars  to  Jackson,  Miss. 
The  heavy  artillery  and  commissary  stores  were  also 
being  sent  there.  Every  thing  indicated  to  me  that 
General  Price  did  not  expect  to  hold  the  place. 


182  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN  / 

As  near  as  I  could  learn,  General  Price's  army  at 
the  Tallahatchie  was  about  eighteen  thousand  ;  but 
the  force  then  in  Grenada  did  not  exceed  twelve 
thousand.  What  cavalry  troops  there  were  in  the 
place  seemed  to  be  much  better  clad  and  in  better 
spirits  than  the  infantry  or  artillery. 

I  remained  in  Grenada  two  nights,  and  then  started 
back.  I  took  the  road  that  leads  to  Pontotoc.  I 
came  out,  and  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance, 
when  I  was  overtaken  by  three  regiments  of  rebel 
cavalry.  As  they  came  up,  I  fell  in  with  them  and 
accompanied  them.  In  conversation  with  one  of  the 
captains,  he  told  me  that  "  they  were  on  their  way  to 
assist  General  Yan  Dorn  to  make  a  raid  upon  Holly 
Springs  and  the  railroad,  to  cut  off  the  Yankee  sup- 
plies." He  expressed  himself  as  very  confident  of 
success,  and  remarked  that  "if  we  can't  whip  the 
Yankees  by  force  of  arms,  we  can  by  starvation." 

About  twelve  miles  from  Grenada,  we  came  'to  a 
large  plantation,  owned  by  a  wealthy  planter  by  the 
name  of  Leggett.  Mr.  Leggett  had  evidently  ex- 
pected the  cavalry  along,  and  had  caused  to  be  pre- 
pared a  large  wagon-box  of  corn-cakes,  of  about  a 
pound  and  a  half  weight  each,  and  a  large  quantity 
of  fresh  beef,  cooked  and  cut  up  into  pieces  of  about 
a  pound  each.  As  we  passed,  two  large  negroes 
handed  each  man  a  cake  and  a  piece  of  meat.  I  re- 
ceived a  share  the  same  as  the  cavalry. 

I  continued  on  in  company  with  the  cavalry  until 
about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  I  concluded 
I  had  gone  far  enough  on  that  road.  I  then  dashed 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  183 

on  ahead  of  the  cavalry  to  a  piece  of  woodland, 
where  1  dismounted  and  sat  down,  as  if  to  rest  my- 
self, and  remained  there  until  the  cavalry  had  all 
passed  on  out  of  sight.  I  then  mounted,  and  started 
across  the  country  toward  Water  Valley.  A  few 
minutes,  travel  brought  me  into  a  road  that  led  direct 
to  the  place. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  picket  lines,  the  guards  ar- 
rested me  and  took  me  to  the  colonel  of  the  3d 
Michigan  Cavalry,  who  sent  me  to  General  Lee.  I 
reported  to  him  the  three  regiments  of  cavalry  that 
I  had  accompanied  out,  and  he  immediately  started 
in  pursuit  of  them.  I  learned  afterward  that  the 
chase  was  kept  up  to  the  Eocky  Ford,  on  the  Talla- 
hatchie  Eiver.  On  reporting  to  General  Leggett, 
he  expressed  himself  well  pleased  with  the  result  of 
my  trip,  and  requested  me  to  make  another  to  the 
same  place,  which  I  accordingly  undertook  to  do. 

Early  the  next  morning  I  was  again  on  my  way 
to  Grenada,  mounted  on  a  mule,  and  disguised  as 
before.  At  Water  Yalley  I  found  the  3d  Michigan 
Cavalry  still  encamped,  and  called  upon  the  Col- 
onel. I  told  him  that  I  was  going  into  Grenada,  and 
that  if  he  wanted  a  little  fun,  I  would  decoy  out  a 
regiment  of  rebel  cavalry  to  a  place  within  twelve 
miles  of  him,  on  the  Pontotoc  road,  known  as  the  Big 
Spring.  The  spring,  from  its  distance  from  Grenada 
and  the  abundance  of  water  that  it  afforded,  and  the 
excellent  ground  about  it  for  camping  purposes,  made 
a  fine  natural  place  for  troops  passing  out  from  Gre- 
nada to  halt  for  the  night. 


184  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

I  told  the  Colonel  that  I  would  go  into  Grenada 
and  see  what  cavalry  was  in  there,  and  select  the 
regiment  that  I  wanted ;  and  then  I  would  go  to 
General  Price  and  tell  him  that  I  knew  of  three 
companies  of  Lincoln  cavalry,  camped  near  the  Pon- 
totoc  road,  a  long  distance  from  support,  watching  to 
pick  up  "  our"  couriers  and  small  parties  that  hap- 
pened to  pass  that  way,  and  if  he  would  let  that  regi- 
ment go,  I  would  guide  it  so  that  it  could  surround 
the  Lincolnites  and  capture  the  last  one  of  them.  I 
also  told  the  Colonel  that  he  could  take  his  regiment 
over  to  the  place  the  next  night,  and  then,  early  next 
morning,  crawl  close  up  to  the  rebels,  and  sud- 
denly rise  up  and  pour  in  five  volleys  into  them,  in 
quick  succession,  from  their  five-shooting  carbines 
(the  regiment  was  armed  with  five-shooters),  which 
would  so  surprise  and  terrify  them  that  they  would 
break  and  run  without  stopping  for  guns,  horses,  or 
anything  else,  and  that  he  would  be  able  to  capture 
the  most  of  their  arms  and  horses,  and  very  many  of 
the  men. 

The  Colonel  seemed  pleased  with  my  proposals, 
and  promised  to  have  his  regiment  there  in  time.  I 
had  no  doubts  whatever  about  my  ability  to  decoy  a 
regiment  out  there,  but  I  was  not  so  sure  that  the 
Colonel  had  confidence  enough  in  me  to  keep  his 
promise.  With  the  understanding,  however,  that  I 
was  to  return  the  next  day  with  a  regiment  of  cavalry, 
T  resumed  my  journey. 

I  halted  for  the  night  a  short  distance  out  from 
Grenada,  and  early  the  next  morning  I  started  in. 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  185 

At  the  bridge  across  the  Yallabusha  Eiver,  about 
•half  a  mile  from  town,  I  came  to  the  rebel  pickets. 
They  manifested  some  hesitation  about  passing  me, 
and  asked  me  various  questions  about  where  I  lived 
and  what  I  wanted  to  go  in  for,  etc.  While  they  were 
questioning  me,  a  regiment  of  cavalry  made  its  ap- 
pearance, coming  out.  I  did  not  press  the  pickets 
to  pass  me,  but  remained  in  conversation  with  them 
until  the  cavalry  came  out,  and  then  fell  in  and  went 
along  with  them. 

My  prospects  now  seemed  bright.  The  regiment 
coming  out  would  answer  my  purpose,  provided  it 
went  far  enough,  and  had  saved  me  the  trouble  of 
carrying  out  my  strategy.  I  soon  found  out  that  it 
was  a  Texas  regiment,  and,  like  the  three  regiments 
I  had  accompanied  on  a  former  trip,  they  were  on 
their  way  to  report  to  General  Van  Dorn.  Having 
found  that  out,  I  felt  almost  sure  that  they  would  halt 
for  the  night  at  the  desired  place. 

The  sun  was  about  an  hour  high  when  we  arrived 
at  the  Big  Spring,  and  my  anxiety  was  considerably 
relieved  by  the  regiment  coming  to  a  halt.  Prepara- 
tions were  made  for  the  night — horses  fed,  supper 
prepared,  and  a  picket  thrown  out  on  the  road  to 
Water  Valley,  but  on  no  other. 

Long  before  daylight  in  the  morning,  the  men  were 
up  feeding  their  horses  and  preparing  breakfast  for 
an  early  start.  .  At  the  approach  of  daylight,  the 
pickets  were  drawn  in.  My  anxiety  for  the  appear- 
ance of  the  Federal  cavalry  now  became  intense. 
Not  a  movement  could  I  see  that  indicated  their  ap- 


186  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

proach.  Not  a  suspicion  had  yet  been  excited  among 
my  grayback  companions.  How  I  longed  to  hear  the 
crack  of  those  revolving  carbines  ! 

Breakfast  was  now  ready,  and  all  fell  to  work  at  it 
with  a  hearty  relish.  I  took  some  in  my  hands,  and 
seated  myself  near  a  large  oak-tree,  and  began  to 
eat,  wondering  whether  the  Colonel  really  would 
come.  The  moments  seemed  unusually  long,  and  as 
I  occasionally  glanced  my  eyes  toward  the  place  where 
I  had  hoped  the  cavalry  would  make  its  appearance, 
all  was  quiet.  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Colonel  had  failed  to  fulfil  his  promise,  when,  Bang ! 
bang !  crash !  crash !  went  the  carbines  in  a  perfect 
roar  of  musketry,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  whiz- 
zing bullets.  I  instantly  sprang  behind  the  oak  tree 
and  stood  there.  So  sudden  had  been  the  attack, 
that,  although  I  had  been  looking  for  it,  a  volley  was 
fired  before  I  was  aware  of  the  approach  of  the  regi- 
ment. The  leaden  messengers  came  in  much  greater 
profusion  and  closer  proximity  to  my  person  than  I 
ever  want  them  again.  But  such  a  panic,  such  con- 
fusion, such  running,  such  scrambling  was  never  seen 
before !  It  was  beyond  description.  Some  fled  with- 
out horses  or  arms;  some  cut  the  halters  of  their 
horses  and  mounted  without  arms  or  saddles — all 
were  terribly  frightened. 

Myself  and  sixty  others  were  captured,  and  as 
many  horses  and  twice  as  many  saddles  and  arms, 
with  their  accoutrements.  Eight  men  were  killed,  and 
several  horses  and  quite  a  number  of  men  were 


SCOUT   AXD   SPY.  187 

wounded.     The  rcbs  fired  but  a  very  few  scattering 
shots,  and  not  a  man  of  the  Federals  was  injured. 

It  was  a  brilliant  success,  but  for  a  few  minutes 
rather  serious  fun.  The  Colonel  played  his  part  with 
admirable  ability.  After  the  stores  were  gathered 
up,  I  was  released,  and  we  returned  to  camp.  Dur- 
ing my  absence,  the  brigade  to  which  I  belonged  had 
advanced  to  Water  Valley,  at  which  place  I  found  it. 


188  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XYII. 

The  forage  party— Runaways— Daring  scout— Narrow  escape— The  line 
of  battle — Safe  return — Scout  reports — Assumes  the  character  of  a  rebel 
prisoner— Finds  a  friend— How  he  introduced  himself— Where  he  be- 
longs—The burning  of  Holly  Springs— The  heroine— What  she  cap- 
tured— Shows  partiality — Offers  assistance — Rebel  doctor  executed. 

WHEN  the  army  fell  back  behind  the  Tallahatchie 
River,  General  Leggett's  brigade  remained  at  Abbe- 
ville, as  an  advanced  outpost  of  the  army.  It  was  while 
we  were  there  on  outpost  duty,  that  the  troops  ex- 
perienced the  inconvenience  of  short  rations,  caused 
by  General  Yan  Dora's  cavalry  raid  into  Holly 
Springs.  While  the  scarcity  of  rations  prevailed,  the 
troops  were  under  the  necessity  of  frequently  send- 
ing out  foraging  expeditions  to  obtain  assistance  for 
both  men  and  animals. 

On  one  occasion,  an  expedition  was  sent  out  to  the 
east  of  Abbeville  after  forage.  After  it  had  been 
gone  a  short  time,  I  took  a  notion  that  I  would  go  ; 
so  I  mounted  my  mule  and  started  out.  Soon  after 
passing  the  pickets,  I  overtook  two  men,  who,  I  found, 
had  run  away  from  camp,  and,  by  representing  to  the 
pickets  that  they  belonged  to  the  detail  guarding  the 
train,  had  succeeded  in  passing.  They  were  going 
out  on  their  "  own  hooks7?;  to  forage  a  fat  sheep. 

About  a  mile  from  the  pickets,  the  road  forked  ; 
the  left-hand  road,  or  main  road,  led  straight  ahead 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  189 

to  the  east,  and  the  right-hand  road  led  to  the  south- 
east. The  forage  party  had  taken  the  left-hand  road  ; 
the  runaways  took  the  right-hand  road,  and  I  fol- 
lowed them  out  a  piece  to  see  what  was  going  on. 
About  a  mile  from  the  forks,  both  roads  pass  through 
a  belt  of  timber-land,  several  hundred  yards  in 
width,  and  then  emerge  into  an  open  space  of  coun- 
try, inclosed  in  fields.  After  passing  through  the 
timber,  we  halted  and  mounted  the  fence  to  look  for 
the  forage  party  on  the  other  road.  They  had  halted 
at  a  plantation-house,  and  were  engaged  in  loading 
the  train.  While  on  the  fence,  the  two  runaways 
espied  some  fat  sheep  in  the  field  near  by  us.  They 
immediately  gave  chase,  and  I  remained  on  the  fence 
to  watch  for  the  rebels.  We  had  been  discovered 
by  the  forage  party  while  on  the  fence,  and  directly 
a  man  was  seen  dashing  across  the  fields  toward  us, 
on  horseback,  to  reconnoitre.  In  the  brigade  was 
a  chaplain,  not  very  brave,  who  sometimes  under- 
took to  perform  the  duties  of  a  scout.  As  the  man 
on  horseback  approached,  it  proved  to  be  the  chap- 
lain scout.  The  field,  on  the  side  where  we  were, 
was  covered  with  tall  weeds,  as  high  as  a  man's  head, 
and  for  that  reason  the  runaways  did  not  see  the 
chaplain  until  he  was  within  two  hundred  yards  of 
them.  The  boys  had  not  yet  captured  a  sheep,  but 
were  trying  to  corner  one,  when  they  discovered 
him. 

"There  comes  our  chaplain,  as  sure  as  guns!"  said 
one.  "  We  must  frighten  him  back,  or  we'll  both  be 
arrested  for  running  away." 


190  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  I'll  stop  him,"  said  the  other,  aiming  his  piece. 

11  Snap!"  went  the  cap,  but  the  gun  did  not  go. 

"Are  you  going  to  shoot  him?"  said  the  first. 

"Yes,"  said  the  other. 

•'Then  I'll  shoot,"  said  the  first.  Bang  went  his 
gun. 

That  was  too  much  for  the  chaplain  ;  he  wheeled 
his  horse  about,  and  went  flying  back.  The  chaplain 
did  not  see  the  boys,  but  saw  me  on  the  fence, 
dressed  in  rebel  uniform,  and  my  mule  hitched  to 
the  fence.  As  soon  as  he  got  back  and  reported, 
the  men  not  engaged  in  loading  the  train  were 
formed  in  line  of  battle,  ready  to  repel  an  expected 
attack. 

The  runaways  succeeded  in  capturing  a  fine,  nice 
sheep,  and  carried  it  on  their  shoulders  back  to  the 
forks  in  the  road,  to  wait  for  the  train.  There  I 
left  them,  and  joined  the  forage  party,  which  I  found 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle. 

When  the  train  was  loaded  and  ready  to  return, 
flankers  were  thrown  out  on  either  side  of  the  road, 
and  in  that  way  succeeded  in  reaching  camp  without 
the  loss  of  a  man.  The  runaways  got  into  camp  with 
their  forage  without  being  detected. 

I  felt  curious  to  know  what  sort  of  report  the 
chaplain  would  make  ;  so,  on  my  return  to  camp,  I 
immediately  repaired  to  headquarters  and  awaited 
his  arrival.  When  he  made  his  appearance,  it  was 
with  a  countenance  indicating  that  something  serious 
and  impressive  weighed  upon  his  mind. 


SCOUT   AXD    SPY.  191 

"Has  the  forage  party  come  in,  chaplain?"  said 
General  Leggett,  as  he  entered. 

"  Yes,  we  made  out  to  get  back." 

"  Well,  what  luck  did  you  have  ?" 

"  We  had  a  very  narrow  escape,  indeed." 

"Why  so?" 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you;  we  halted  about  four  miles 
out,  to  load  the  train,  and,  while  thus  engaged,  some 
rebels  were  seen  about  a  mile  distant,  across  the 
field,  on  the  fence,  watching  our  movements.  I  was 
sent  to  reconnoitre  and  find  out  about  them,  and 
when  I  -had  got  within  a  short  distance  of  them,  I 
saw  a  long  line  of  them  dismounted,  behind  the 
fence.  Several  of  them  snapped  their  pieces  at  me, 
and  one  went  off,  and  the  ball  came  whizzing  by  my 
head.  I  wheeled  my  horse  and  ran  back  as  fast  as  I 
could  go.  I  tell  you,  General,  it  was  a  providential 
escape  for  me  !  We  then  formed  a  line  of  battle,  to 
repel  any  attack  until  the  train  was  ready  to  start; 
then  we  threw  out  flankers  on  either  side  of  the  road, 
and  in  that  way  we  marched  in,  without  being  at- 
tacked." 

The  joke  was  a  serious  one,  but,  inasmuch  as  no- 
body was  hurt,  I  concluded  not  to  expose  the 
roguery  of  the  runaways,  or  the  bravery  of  the 
chaplain. 

While  the  troops  remained  at  Abbeville,  being  on 
short  rations  caused  by  the  burning  of  Holly  Springs, 
it  became  necessary  for  every  soldier  to  be  on  the 
lookout  everywhere  for  supplies,  in  which  I  felt  a  dis- 
position to  act  my  part.  For  this  purpose  I  left 


192  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

•' 

Abbeville  on  a  road  leading  to  the  southwest.  About 
nine  miles  out  I  came  to  a  mill,  where  I  entered  and 
bought  a  peck  of  meal,  and  in  conversation  with  the 
miller  I  learned  that  a  company  of  guerrillas  was  in 
the  habit  of  getting  meal  there,  and  were  prowling 
about  the  neighborhood.  Having  but  little  respect 
for  that  class  of  citizens,  I  at  once  determined  to 
capture  them  if  possible. 

About  eighty  rods  north  of  the  mill  was  a  hill, 
with  a  thick  growth  of  small  pines  at  the  base  and 
tall  oaks  on  the  top,  and  a  road  running  through  this 
grove  over  the  hill.  From  reading  the  Life  of  Wash- 
ington and  Marion,  I  at  once  proposed  a  plan  of 
strategy  to  capture  the  guerrillas. 

I  went  to  General  Logan  and  procured  an  order 
for  sixty  men,  and  laid  them  in  ambush  in  a  circle  in 
this  grove,  on  either  side  of  the  road,  leaving  the  road 
clear.  We  built  three  big  fires  on  the  top  of  the  hill, 
got  logs  and  laid  them  promiscuously  near  the  fires, 
and  laid  overcoats  over  them  here  and  there,  and 
hung  up  hats,  and  here  and  there  a  canteen  on  the 
bushes  near  by,  that  might  be  seen  when  any  one  ap- 
proached. 

I  instructed  my  men  not  to  fire  unless  there  was  an 
attempt  made  by  the  guerrillas  to  escape.  Every- 
thing ready,  I  stationed  myself  and  a  captain  at  the 
grand  entrance,  out  of  sight  of  the  enemy,  and  on 
either  side  of  the  road. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps 
coming  up  the  hill,  and  soon  I  beheld  the  guerrillas 
with  double-barrelled  shot-guns  cocked,  and  moving 


9COUT   AND    SPY.  193 

as  silent  and  stealthily  as  possible,  peering  in  the  dis- 
tance at  the  fires  and  their  surroundings,  evidently 
surmising  that  they  had  found  a  company  of  sleeping 
Federals. 

But  we  were  not  exactly  asleep.  I  counted  four- 
teen enter  the  circle  in  close  proximity,  and  as  I  saw 
no  more  coming  in  the  rear,  I  concluded  this  was  the 
whole  squad.  I  arose  and  stepped  out,  and  demanded 
a  surrender  of  the  whole  band.  When  I  uttered  this 
demand  they  all  stretched  up  and  look  around.  All 
was  still  as  death  around,  save  the  ominous  click  of 
the  cocking  of  about  sixty  rifles.  When  they  heard 
this  they  said,  Hold  on,  boys !  hold  on !  wTe'll  surren- 
der !  Well,  said  I,  lay  down  your  guns  then  on  the 
ground  and  walk  away.  They  did  so,  and  the  boys 
moved  from  their  ambush  to  the  centre,  and  enclosed 
our  prisoners.  Said  I,  Boys,  how  do  you  like  the  trap  ? 
Have  you  men  got  horses  ?  They  said  no.  Now, 
said  I,  you  lie.  You  have  got  horses  down  around 
the  mill,  and  you  would  like  to  have  me  go  after  them 
to  get  me  in  the  same  fix  as  you  are  in.  Now,  boys, 
said  I,  let  us  light  out  for  camp. 

We  returned  to  camp  by  the  way  we  came,  and 
turned  over  the  prisoners  to  the  Provost-marshal. 
They  were  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  band  of  guer- 
rillas, nevertheless  they  were  paroled  and  treated  as 
regular  soldiers,  as  they  represented  themselves  to  the 
Provost-marshal  that  they  were  regularly  enlisted 

cavalrymen. 

#  #  *  *  #  *  * 

While  the  army  was  on  its  march  from  the"  Talla- 

•i     U"         T 


194  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

hatchie  to  Lagrange,  I  had  an  amusing  little  adven- 
ture with  a  secesh  lady.  It  was  on  the  day  that 
General  Leggett's  brigade  left  Holly  Springs.  I  was 
riding  along  behind  my  regiment,  in  company  with 
Levi  Hood,  of  the  20th  Ohio,  when  I  observed,  to  the 
left  of  the  road,  and  about  half  a  mile  back,  a  large, 
fine  white  house.  I  told  Levi  that,  from  the  fine  ap- 
pearance of  things  about  the  house,  I  presumed  we 
could  get  feed  there  for  our  mules  ;  sb  we  rode  out  to 
see. 

The  house  was  built  with  a  porch  extending  across 
its  entire  front.  As  we  approached,  we  saw  a  Fed- 
eral guard  standing  on  the  porch,  near  the  main  en- 
trance to  the  house,  and  two  Federal  officers,  one  of 
them  a  captain  and  the  other  a  major.  The  officers 
were  engaged  in  conversation  with  a.  lady  belong- 
ing to  the  house.  We  halted  in  front  of  the  steps 
leading  on  to  the  porch,  when  Levi,  addressing  the 
lady,  said  :  "  Madam,  have  you  got  any  corn  or  fod- 
der here  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  expect  there  is  some  out  there,"  she  re- 
plied, pointing  to  an  outhouse  :  (i  go  out  and  get  it. 
Take  it  all,  if  you  can  ;  don't  leave  any.  I  shall  be 
glad  when  it  is  gone  ;  then  you  won't  bother  me." 

We  rode  to  the  outhouse  and  procured  what  fod- 
der we  wanted,  and,  having  fed  our  mules  in  a  yard 
in  front  of  the  house,  we  repaired  to  the  porch, 
where  the  officers  and  lady  were  still  engaged  in  con- 
versation. They  were  talking  about  the  burning  of 
Holly  Springs,  and  as  I  came  near,  I  heard  the  lady 
say: 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  195 

"  If  General  -Van  Dorn  and  General  Price  can't 
thrash  you  out  of  Mississippi,  they  can  starve  you 
out,  or  get  you  out  in  some  way ;  you  are  going  out, 
anyhow." 

"  Yes,'"  said  I,  "  that's  one  of  General  Yan  Dorivs 
.capers ;  lie  is  just  the  man  to  do  such  tricks  as 
that," 

The  officers  left  soon  after  I  came  up,  and  the  lady 
turned  her  conversation  to  me. 

"  Do  you  know  General  Yan  Dorn  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  know  all  of  our  Generals ;  ami  I  know 
you,  too." 

"  Where  did  you  ever  see  me  ?" 

"  Ain't  you  the  lady  who  sent  Colonel  Slemmcns 
the  bouquet  last  summer,  when  he  was  on-outpost  duty, 
with  his  regiment,  at  Cold  Water?" 

' '  Why,  yes,  I  believe  I  was  ;  where  was  you  ?" 

"  I  was  sent  from  Lunipkins'  Mills,  by  General 
Yillipiquc  to  Colonel  Slemmens,  with  orders." 

"  Where  do  you  belong  ?" 

"  I  belong  to  the  17th  Mississippi  Zouaves,  the 
pride  of  the  Confederacy." 

"Who  is  the  Colonel?" 

"  Colonel  Hanner." 

"Yes,  yes!  that's  a  fact!  I  thought  that  you 
was  fooling  me,  at  first,  but  I  don't  think  you  are 
now.  How  in  the  world  did  you  come  to  be  up 
here  ?" 

"  I  was  captured  near  Grenada." 

"  You  was  ?  That's  too  bad  !  Oh,  tell  me,  have 
you  received  your  new  guns  yet  ?" 


196  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  Yes  ;  we  received  them  on  the  18th  day  of  last 
August." 

"  They  were  so  long  coming,  that  I  was  afraid  they 
never  would  get  through  the  Federal  lines.  How  do 
you  like  them  ?" 

"  Very  much,  indeed.  They  are  Colt's  six-shoot- 
ers, and  are  a  most  excellent  gun." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  of  it ;  they  ought  to  be  a  good 
gun,  for  they  cost  the  Confederacy  $60  apiece.  You 
are  really  a  prisoner,  then,  are  you  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  come  into  the  house." 

"  I  would  if  I  could ;  but  that  man  is  my  guard, 
and  I  don't  think  he'll  let  me." 

"Oh,  no!"  said  Levi,  "I  can't;  I  am  instructed 
not  to  let  him  go  into  any  houses  nor  out  of  my 
sight." 

"  Well,  you  can  see  him  at  the  end  of  the  porch ; 
let  him  go  there.  He  won't  run  away.  Come  this 
way,  soldier."  She  led  the  way  and  I  followed. 

"Now,"  said  she,  speaking  low,  "  do  tell  me  how 
the  Yankees  like  the  burning  of  Holly  Springs  ??' 

"  Well,  as  near  as  I  can  find  out,  they  hate  it  like 
blazes,  and  it  makes  some  of  them  real  heartsick." 

"  Good  !  I  am  glad  of  it !  I  am  getting  back  pay 
for  my  trouble  now !" 

"  Did  you  help  take  the  place  ?" 

"  No,  I  did  not  help  to  take  it,  but  I  was  chief  of 
the  signal  corps,  and  signalled  the  town  all  night.  I 
had  nearly  all  the  ladies  of  the  town  out,  and  had 
ihein  watching  the  movements  of  the  Yankees.  We 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  197 

sent  up  rockets  every  hour  all  night.  I  tell  you,  I 
felt  so  much  relieved  at  the  approach  of  General  Yan 
Dorn,  and  when  he  captured  the  Yankees  I  was  per- 
fectly delighted !  Then  I  just  went  for  things !  I  had 
four  mules  and  a  yoke  of  steers  and  a  cart  in  there, 
and  I  just  loaded  them  down  with  stuff!  I  got  a  hun- 
dred overcoats,  and  lots  of  pants  and  blankets,  and 
nice  canvased  hams  and  other  things,  until  I  had  the 
garret  of  my  house  stowed  full." 

"  Did  you  do  all  that  alone  ?" 

"Oh,  no!  my  husband,  Captain  McKisic,  was 
there — he  is  captain  of  company  A,  of  Bragg's  1st 
Battalion — and  my  servants  were  there,  and  they 
all  helped.  Oh,  I  really  do  wish  that  you  could 
corne  into  the  house  !" 

"  There  is  no  use  talking  about  that,  for  the  guard 
won't  let  me." 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you,"  said  she  (casting  her  eyes 
at  the  man  who  was  guarding  her  house,  and  speak- 
ing still  lower);  "I  was  suspicious  that  some  of  the 
Yankee  soldiers  might  ransack  my  house  and  find 
out  what  stuff  I  had  got,  and  so  I  went  over  to  the 
colonel  of  the  23d  Illinois  Eegimcnt  and  sung  him  a 
few  songs  of  love,  and  he  sent  me  over  a  guard,  to 
keep  the  soldiers  from  going  into  my  house." 

"You  are  all  right,  then,  if  you  keep  things  to 
yourself." 

"  I  can  do  that,  I  assure  you ;  I  have  run  with  the 
army  almost  two  years,  and  I  have  learned  how  to 
do  that." 

"  Come,  prisoner,"   said  Levi,  manifesting    impa- 


198  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

tience  ,  "a'n't  you  getting  about  through  with  your 
conversation?" 

"Wait !  wait  a  minute,  if  you  please,  guard,"  said 
the  lady,  and  away  she  went  into  the  house.  She 
soon  returned  with  a  lot  of  apples,  and  commenced 
to  stuff  them  into  my  pockets.  "There,  you  eat 
them  yourself.  Give  the  guard  these  three  little 
ones  ;  don't  give  him  any  more  ;  eat  those  nice  ones 
yourself.  But,  pray  tell  me,  what  is  your  situation 
for  money  ?" 

"  I  have  got  about  five  dollars." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  Eeally,  that  a'n't  enough !  Sha'n't 
I  help  you  to  some  ?  I  am  sure  that  you  can't  get 
along  with  that  ?" 

"  No,  I  thank  you  ;  I  can  get  along  in  some  way." 

"  Do  let  me  help  you ;  I  have  got  three  thousand 
dollars  in  the  house,  and  I'd  just  as  leave  help  you 
as  not.  Do  take  some." 

"No;  I  won't  take  any.  I  might  never  return 
this  way  to  repay  it." 

' '  I  should  think  that  you  might  get  away.  Why 
don't  you  get  paroled,  or  run  away  from  that 
guard  ?" 

' '  I  might,  but,  on  account  of  a  plan  that  I  have 
got,  I  don't  want  to  get  away  yet." 

"Why,  what  is  it  ?" 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you.  I  want  to  go  with  Grant's 
army  to  Lagrange,  and  see  which  way  it  goes  from 
there,  and  then  I'll  come  back  and  report  it." 

"That's  a  good  idea,  certainly;  get  all  the  infor- 
mation that  you  can." 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  199 

"Prisoner!"'  called  Levi,  getting*  more  impatient, 
"  the  mules  are  done  eating  and  we  must  go !" 

I  then  bade  Mrs.  McKisic  good-bye,  and  we  re- 
sumed our  march.  On  my  return  to  the  regiment, 
I  related  the  incident  to  the  Colonel,  and  he  replied  : 
' '  If  the  women  are  a  mind  to  take  advantage  of  the 
disgraceful  surrender  of  Holly  Springs,  I  don't  know 
as  I  have  any  objection." 


200  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Arrival  in  Memphis — Daring  robbery — Detailed  by  the  Provost-marshal 
General — Assumes  the  character  of  a  rebel  major — Secesh  acquaintances 
— Captures  a  rebel  mail — A  jollification  — A  rebel  trader — Plan  to  run 
the  pickets — Escape  of  the  outlaws. 

ON  the  22d  day  of  January,  1863,  General  Logan's 
division  arrived  in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  preparatory  to 
moving  down  the  Missisippi,  to  join  in  the  campaign 
against  Yicksburg.  While  there,  as  I  was  passing 
through  the  city,  accompanied  by  William  Goodhart, 
of  the  20th  Ohio,  I  saw  a  splendid  carriage  approach- 
ing, drawn  by  a 'fine  pair  of  black  horses,  with  silver- 
plated  harness.  In  it  were  Captain  Daniels  and  the 
quartermaster  that  had  captured  me  and  taken  me 
to  Cold  Water  to  be  paroled. 

As  the  carriage  came  up,  we  sprang  into  the  street 
toward  it,  to  capture  the  inmates.  Recognizing  me, 
they  sprang  out  at  the  opposite  side,  and  ran  in  dif- 
ferent directions,  and  as  we  were  unarmed  they  made 
their  escape.  Supposing  that  the  carriage  and  horses 
belonged  to  them,  we  unfastened  them,  mounted 
them,  and  started  for  camp,  leaving  the  carriage 
standing  in  the  street.  I  feared,  as  we  were  without 
passes,  that  some  officer  of  some  other  command  might 
take  the  whole  rig  from  us.  I  cared  nothing  about 
the  carriage,  but  wished  to  secure  the  horses  for  the 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  201 

Government.  We  reported,  with  the  horses,  to 
division  headquarters,  and  thence  was  ordered  to 
brigade  headquarters.  At  brigade  headquarters  we 
were  ordered  to  turn  them  over  to  the  quartermaster 
of  our  own  regiment,  which  we  did. 

After  this,  with  nothing  to  do  about  Memphis  but  idle 
my  time  away  in  camp,  I  began  to  get  restless  and  un- 
easy, and  was  about  contriving  some  way  to  get  out- 
side of  the  lines  to  work,  when  I  received  word  that 
General  Logan  wanted  to  see  me.  I  immediately 
reported  to  him,  and  was  handed  a  sealed  envelope 
and  ordered  to  report  with  it  to  Colonel  Hillyer, 
Provost-marshal  General  on  General  Grant's  staff'. 
I  carried  the  communication  to  the  colonel,  as  di- 
rected, and,  when  he  read  it,  he  immediately  sat 
down  and  wrote  me  an  order,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  copy : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OP  THE  TENNESSEE, 
"  OFFICE  OF  THE  PROVOST-MARSHAL  GENERAL, 
"  MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  February  6,  1863. 
"  The  bearer,  Loraine  Ruggles,  is  in  scout  service  of  the  Government. 
He  -will  be  passed  through  all  lines,  at  all  hours.    He  will  be  furnished 
with  whatever  assistance  he  may  require. 

"  He  has  authority  to  make  arrests,  reporting  the  same  to  the  nearest 
military  commander  or  Provost-marshal. 

"  All  officers  and  soldiers  of  this  command  will,  in  every  way,  facilitate 
his  operations. 

"  By  command  of  Major-General  U.  S.  Grant 

"  WILLIAM  HILLYER, 

"  Provost-marsJial   General." 

Handing  me  the  order  and  some  money,  the  Gen- 
eral told  me  to  procure  a  place  to  board,  and  then 
commence  operations.  He  requested  me  to  report 

9* 


202  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

every  two  or  three  days  the  result  of  my  labors,  and 
to  do  my  reporting,  when  practicable,  at  night. 

I  selected  a  boarding-house  on  Adams-street,  kept 
by  a  Mrs.  Williams.  There  I  represented  myself  as 
a  major  in  the  rebel  army.  My  former  residence  in 
the  city,  at  intervals  of  time,  gave  me  an  acquaint- 
ance that  enabled  me  readily  to  carry  out  the  char- 
acter of  a  rebel  officer,  without  exciting  any  suspicion 
to  the  contrary. 

Having  established  myself  in  my  boarding-house, 
I  proceeded  to  drum  up  the  acquaintance  of  such 
persons  as  I  had  reason  to  believe  were  of  suspicious 
loyalty. 

My  first  acquaintance  of  that  sort  was  a  Captain 
Wells,  who  formerly  commanded  an  independent 
company  in  Yicksburg,  Miss.,  but  who  had  resigned 
his  commission  in  the  Confederate  army  and  estab- 
lished himself  in  business  in  Memphis.  He  was  at 
that  time  a  "  Union  man,"  with  the  oath  of  alle- 
giance in  his  pocket,  but  engaged  in  buying  horses  of 
Federal  soldiers,  and  smuggling  them  through  the 
Federal  lines. 

My  acquaintance  with  him  soon  led  to  an  acquaint- 
ance with  others,  variously  engaged — some  as  guer- 
rillas, some  horse-stealers,  some  smugglers,  some  as 
mail-carriers,  and  others  in  various  disloyal  capaci- 
ties. They  all  knew  me  by  my  assumed  rank,  and 
always  addressed  me  as  Major  lluggles. 

On  one  occasion,  while  looking  about  the  city,  one 
of  my  disloyal  acquaintances  informed  me  that  there 
was  a  large  mail  in  town  from  Missouri,  to  go  to  Gen- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  203 

eral  Price's  army  ;  and,  said  he,  "Major,  I  thought 
that,  perhaps,  you  would  be  going  down  that  way 
soon,  and  if  you  are,  why  not  take  it  with  you  ?  I 
presume  it  is  a  mail  of  considerable  importance,  and 
undoubtedly  General  Price  would  compensate  you 
well  for  it." 

11  Perhaps  I  will  take  it  down,"  I  replied.  "  But  I 
must  make  some  arrangements  with  my  affairs  at 
home  before  I  go,  and  I  will  let  you  know  in  the 
morning." 

"  Very  well.     Come  up  in  the  morning." 

I  then  went  and  told  the  Provost-marshal  General 
what  I  had  learned.  He  told  me  to  keep  watch,  and 
when  it  started  out  to  capture  it. 

The  next  day  I  went  to  see  about  carrying  it  out 
myself,  and  was  told  that  a  man  had  already  made 
arrangements  to  carry  it,  and  that  it  was  packed  up, 
ready  to  go.  While  talking  about  the  mail,  another 
of  my  new  acquaintances  came  up,  and  I  invited  the 
two  to  walk  over  to  the  Italian  saloon  with,  me  and 
take  something  to  drink. 

"  You  go  with  me,"  said  the  new-comer,  "  over  to 
the  saloon  where  I  get  my  drinks." 

"Very  well,"  said  I,  and  we  all  went  over. 

In  front  of  the  saloon  was  hitched  a  horse  and 
buggy.  In  the  saloon,  besides  the  proprietor,  was  a 
very  gentlemanly-looking  man,  who,  soon  after  we 
entered,  asked  the  proprietor  if  he  had  any  word  that 
he  wanted  to  send  to  Hernando.  The  man  said  he 
was  going  down  that  way,  and  if  he  had  anything  to 
send  he  would  take  it. 

8 


204  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

As  he  had  nothing  to  send,  the  gentleman,  without 
making  any  further  business,  went  out.  The  thought 
now  occurred  to  me  that  the  mail  was  in  the  buggy 
at  the  door,  and  the  man  that  went  out  was  the  mail- 
carrier.  I  excused  myself  from  my  companions,  as 
soon  as  I  could,  and  started  out  to  watch  the  suspected 
gentleman.  When  I  went  out  he  had  unhitched  and 
started  down  the  street.  I  followed  along,  through 
one  street  after  another,  until  the  buggy  stopped  at  a 
provision-store.  There  the  gentleman  purchased  a 
demijohn  of  something,  and  a  side  of  bacon.  I  saw 
him  place  them  in  the  buggy,  and  then  return  to  the 
provision-store. 

I  then  went  to  Captain  Taylor,  who  had  charge  of 
the  government  horses  in  the  city,  whom  I  found  sit- 
ting on  his  horse  at  his  stables.  I  told  him  that  a 
rebel  mail  was  going  out  through  the  lines,  and  that  I 
wanted  his  horse  long  enough  to  ride  out  to  the  pick- 
et line,  on  the  Hernando  road,  and  stop  it.  He  lent 
me  his  horse,  and  I  soon  found  myself  at  the  picket 
line. 

I  found  a  lieutenant  in  command  of  the  pickets.  I 
told  him  that  there  would  be  a  rebel  mail  attempt  to 
pass  his  lines,  and  that  it  would  be  in  a  one-horse  bug- 
gy, driven  by  a  very  gentlemanly-looking  man,  and  that 
the  buggy  that  contained  the  mail  would  contain  a 
demijohn  and  a  side  of  bacon.  I  told  him  to  be 
thorough,  and  search  the  man's  person  and  his  buggy, 
and  the  cushions,  and  everything  else  about  the 
buggy,  and  to  do  it  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  lead  the 
man  to  suspect  that  any  information  had  been  given 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  205 

him.  I  then  took  another  road  and  returned  to  the 
city. 

I  had  not  been  gone  more  than  an  hour,  when  the 
man  described  drove  up  to  the  pickets,  halted,  and 
handed  out  his  pass  for  examination.  The  lieutenant 
having  examined  it,  told  him  that  he  presumed  he  was 
all  right,  but  attempts  had  been  made  to  carry  contra- 
band articles  through  the  lines,  and  his  instructions 
were  such  that  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  making 
a  thorough  search  before  passing  him.  The  man  as- 
sured the  lieutenant  that  he  had  no  objections  to 
being  searched,  and  that  nothing  could  be  found 
about  himself  or  buggy  not  mentioned  in  the  pass* 

The  man's  person  was  searched,  and  then  the  bug- 
gy, and  finally  the  cushions  of  the  buggy  were  exam- 
ined, and  in  them,  neatly  quilted  in,  was  found  the 
mail.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  the  gentlemanly  per- 
sonage was  furnished  accommodations  in  the  Irving 
Block,  and  the  mail  was  turned  over  to  the  Provost- 
marshal  General.  I  never  learned  what  became  of 
the  man  or  his  mail. 

A  few  days  after  the  arrest  of  the  rebel  mail-car- 
rier, I  invited  several  of  my  new  acquaintances  down 
to  my  boarding-house,  to  have  a  little  jollification. 
They  all  accepted  the  invitation,  and,  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  made  their  appearance. 

Among  these  was  a  man  engaged  in  furnishing 
contraband  goods  for  the  rebel  army,  such  as  medi- 
cines, surgical  instruments,  silk  thread  for  sewing 
wounds,  ladies'  silk  hose,  &c.,  &c. 

He  came  into  the  Provost-marshal  General's  office, 


206  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

and  got  a  permit  to  buy  a  barrel  of  molasses.  He 
procured  a  molasses  barrel  and  inserted  a  tin  tube 
nicely  into  the  bung,  down  to  the  other  side  of  the 
barrel,  and  packed  every  other  part  of  the  barrel  full 
of  goods  to  the  amount  of  $2,000,  and  filling  the  tube 
with  molasses,  brought  it  to  the  Provost-marshal's  of- 
fice for  inspection.  I  had  watched  his  movements, 
and  was  in  the  office  of  the  Provost-marshal  General 
when  he  came  up  to  the  Provost-marshal's  office, 
which  was  directly  opposite.  I  told  the  Provost- 
marshal  General  to  watch  the  movements.  Said  he, 
"  I  gave  that  man  a  permit  to  buy  a  barrel  of  molas- 
ses, and  he  has  brought  it  for  inspection."  Said  I, 
"That  ain't  molasses."  He  said  it  was.  Said  I, 
"  You  are  a  commanding  officer,  and  I  have  no  right 
to  dispute  you  ;  but  if  you  let  that  barrel  go  out  with- 
out inspection,  I  will  report  you  to  General  Grant." 
"  "Well,"  said  he,  "  to  please  you  I  will  let  the  guards 
stop  him,  and  will  examine  it  myself,"  and  he  found 
as  I  had  reported,  but  little  molasses  and  a  large 
amount  of  other  goods,  which  were  turned  over  to 
the  Government,  and  the  man  turned  over  to  the  Ir- 
ving Block  for  safe-keeping. 

When  I  went  to  Mrs.  Williams'  to  board,  I  took 
with  me  a  yellow  boy  that  had  been  in  my  employ 
nearly  a  year.  I  had  trained  him  so  that  he  under- 
stood me  perfectly,  and,  being  naturally  of  a  smart, 
ready  turn  of  mind,  and  quick  to  comprehend  my 
meaning,  was  of  great  assistance,  when  I  was  visited 
by  rebel  friends,  in  helping  me  to  carry  out  my  as- 
sumed character. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  207 

On  this  occasion,  he  represented  to  perfection  the 
character  of  a  negro  waiter.  I  called  him  "  Spence." 
Whenever  his  name  was  called,  he  would  promptly 
enter  the  room,  with  his  hat  under  his  arm,  and  ap- 
proach me  with  as  much  manifestation  of  profound 
respect  as  if  I  had  been  a  king,  receive  my  orders 
with  marked  attention,  and  execute  them  with  won- 
derful agility,  and  then  immediately  retire  from  the 
room. 

From  my  rank,  my  companions  seemed  to  regard 
me  as  possessing  peculiar  advantages  over  them,  and 
all  seemed  desirous  to  secure  my  advice  and  my  per- 
sonal assistance  in  their  individual  projects.  By 
that  means  I  was  enabled  to  find  out  very  much 
that  was  going  on,  that  I  otherwise  would  not  have 
done. 

Among  my  guests  of  that  evening  was  a  man  that 
had  been  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  had  been  se- 
verely wounded  in  the  shoulder  in  the  battle  at  Fort 
Donelson.  On  account  of  his  wound  he  had  been  dis- 
charged. As  a  sort  of  compensation  to  enable  him  to 
make  a  living,  for  which  his  disability  had  seriously 
disqualified  him,  General  Price  had  given  him  a  paper 
authorizing  him  to  trade  and  sell  goods  in  the  Con- 
federate army. 

After  showing  me  his  paper,  signed  by  General 
Price,  "Now,"  said  he,  "major,  you  can  render  me 
some  assistance,  if  you  feel  disposed,  that  will  be  of 
great  help  to  me  in  my  circumstances." 

"  Indeed!  I  should  be  very  happy  to  do  so  ;  but 
you  must  remember  that  I  am  under  bonds  to  the 


208  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

Federal  authorities,  and  I  have  to  be  very  careful 
what  I  do  ;  if  I  am  caught  in  any  scrape,  they  will 
surely  hang  me." 

' '  I  am  well  aware  of  that,  Major,  but  I  think  you 
can  do  it  without  subjecting  yourself  to  any  great 
danger." 

' '  Well,  what  is  it  that  you  want  I  should  do  ?" 

"I'll  tell  you.  I  have  been  engaged,  for  some 
time,  in  purchasing,  in  small  quantities  at  a  time, 
various  articles  of  goods,  to  take  through  the  Federal 
lines  to  sell,  and  I  have  now  got  about  four  hundred 
dollars'  worth.  The  military  authorities  are  begin- 
ning to  suspicion  me,  and  I  have  got  to  move  the 
goods  to  some  place  for  safe-keeping.  Your  board- 
ing-rooms are  not  very  public,  and  you  could  keep 
the  goods  here  without  exciting  suspicion." 

"I  expect  that  I  might.  I  have  done  more 
hazardous  jobs  than  that  since  I  have  been  in  the 
Confederate  service.  I  think  I  can  manage  it.  You 
may  get  the  goods  ready,  and  then  let  me  know  it, 
and  I  will  send  my  servant  after  them." 

' '  Thank  you,  Major !  You  are  just  the  man  to  do 
it.  I  will  get  them  ready  in  the  morning." 

My  friend  Captain  Wells  also  had  a  little  scheme 
in  view,  which  he  related  to  me,  as  follows : 

"  I  have  got  six  fine  horses,  that  I  have  purchased 
of  Federal  cavalrymen,  and  I  want  to  manage  some 
way  to  get  them  through  the  Yankee  lines.  Now, 
Major,  what  plan  do  you  propose  to  get  them 
through?" 

"  Well,  really,  Captain,  I  hardly  know  what  course 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  209 

would  be  advisable.  The  '  Yankees'  are  getting  to 
be  mighty  strict  in  their  picket  duties.  A  sudden 
dash  upon  the  pickets,  some  dark  night,  by  as  many 
plucky  riders  as  you  have  horses,  might  take  them 
through.'7 

"That's  my  mind  exactly,  Major!  and  I  was 
thinking  if  I  could  get  some  military  man  of  expe- 
rience, like  yourself,  to  lead  us,  the  plan  might  be 
executed  to  a  charm !  What  do  you  say  ?  will  you 
lead  us?" 

"Well,  Captain,  the  undertaking  is  a  bold  one, 
but  I  think  I  am  good  for  it ;  at  any  rate,  I  will  try." 

"Good!  good!  Major,  here's  your  health!"  and 
they  all  drank  heartily. 

Late  at  night,  the  festival  broke  up,  with  an  agree- 
ment to  meet  at  frequent  intervals,  as  opportunity 
offered. 

The  next  day  the  contraband  goods  were  brought 
over  to  my  rooms  and  secreted. 

I  will  here  relate  a  little  incident  concerning  my 
servant  Spcnce,  to  show  how  well  I  succeeded  in 
making  my  secesh  acquaintances  believe  that  I  was 
a  Southerner  and  a  slave-owner.  I  was  in  the  habit 
of  finding  fault  with  him,  and  would  reprimand  him 
severely  for  the  slightest  neglect,  and  sometimes 
imaginary  ones,  were  sufficient  to  call  forth  from  me 
the  severest  rebuke. 

A  few  mornings  after  the  night  of  our  festival, 
several  of  my  secesh  friends  called  on  me  to  ride  out 
in  the  city.  I  ordered  Spence  to  bring  out  my  horse. 
When  he  made  his  appearance  at  the  front  of  the 


210  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

house,  I  went  out  to  see  that  everything  was  in 
proper  order,  and  at  once  flew  into  a  terrible  pas- 
sion with  him,  on  the  pretence  that  the  horse  was 
not  properly  cleaned.  Spence,  as  if  mistrusting 
something  was  up,  was  about  to  leave. 

"Here,  you  black  rascal!"  said  I;  "why  didn't 
you  clean  that  horse's  legs  ?  Ha'n't  I  taught  you 
better  than  that?  Come  here,  you  black  lazy  calf, 
till  I  thrash  you !  What !  lived  with  me  all  your 
life,  and  don't  know  how  to  clean  a  horse !  Ha'n't  I 
thrashed  you  time  and  again  for  that?  Come  here, 
I  say!  Ill  fix  you!" 

Spence,  as  if  apprehending  a  booting,  manifested  a 
wonderful  fear  of  me,  and  no  inclination  to  approach 
nearer,  and,  as  I  approached  him,  he  involuntarily 
drew  back.  I  attempted  to  catch  him,  and  he  ran 
away  from  me  into  the  back  yard,  and  I  after  him. 
"Stop !  stop !  you  black  scoundrel  you !  Stop !  or  I'll 
shoot  you !"  I  shouted. 

Mrs.  Williams  and  my  companions  ran  to  the  back 
door  to  see  what  I  was  doing.  As  they  came  out,  I 
fired  my  revolver.  Spence  stopped,  and,  facing  me, 
implored,  "Oh,  Lord!  Massa  Ruggles,  don't  shoot 
dis  nigger !  don't  shoot  again,  for  do  Lord's  sake ! 
don't  shoot !  I'll  done  clean  de  hoss  all  off  clean  de 
nex'  time !  I  will,  I  will,  for  sure,  Massa  Ruggles  !" 

"Don't  shoot  him,  Major!"  implored  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams. 

"Don't  shoot  him,  Major !  for  God's  sake,  don't. 
For  you  will  get  into  trouble  with  the  Yankees  if 
you  do." 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  211 

"Well,  I  won't  shoot  him  this  time,  but  the  next 
time  he  won't  get  off  so  easy.  Do  you  understand 
that,  you  black  rascal  ?" 

"Yes,  Massa  Euggles !  I  'spects  dat  I  was  care- 
less. I'll  dun  clean  him  good  now !"  and  away  he 
went  to  clean  the  horse. 

A  few  nights  after  the  above  occurrence,  another 
jollification  was  held  at  my  rooms.  Before  sepa- 
rating, it  was  agreed  that  eight  of  us,  including  myself 
and  Spence,  should  take  the  contraband  horses  and 
goods,  and,  on  a  night  agreed  upon,  if  everything  was 
favorable,  make  a  dash  through  the  lines. 

The  time  agreed  upon  came,  and  with  it  my  rebel 
acquaintances,  prepared  for  the  dash.  I  was  not 
ready,  and  apologized  by  saying  that  the  weather 
had  been  so  bad  for  a  day  or  two  that  J  didn't 
think  they  would  be  along  that  night.  I  told  them 
that  I  had  left  my  saddle  at  a  harness-shop  to  be 
repaired,  but  if  they  would  wait  until  I  could  go  and 
get  it  I  would  accompany  them.  To  this  they  agreed. 
Taking  Spence  with  me,  I  started  for  the  saddle. 

I  procured  one,  to  prevent  suspicion,  and,  carry- 
ing it  with  me,  I  went  to  the  officer  of  the  provost- 
guards.  I  told  him  what  was  going  on,  and  then 
showed  him  my  order  from  Colonel  Hillyer,  and  told 
him  that  I  wanted  six  men.  My  plan  was  to  place 
them  where  they  could  throw  themselves  suddenly 
across  a  street  that  we  would  have  to  pass,  as  we 
came  up,  and  halt  us,  and  to  fire  into  every  man 
that  did  not  halt.  Spence  and  myself  would,  of 
course,  halt  and  be  captured.  The  Captain  would 


212  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

not  give  me  any  men  unless  I  would  take  a  whole 
company.  *  I  remonstrated.  I  knew  that  six  men 
would  not  be  suspected  of  anything  more  than  an 
ordinary  patrol  guard,  if  seen  on  their  way  to  the 
place  designated,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  get 
so  many  men  into  position  without  their  being  seen. 
The  Captain  would  not  yield,  and  I  started  with  a 
full  company,  under  command  of  a  Lieutenant. 
After  we  had  started,  the  Captain  halted  us,  and 
charged  the  Lieutenant  not  to  divide  the  company 
into  squads,  but  to  keep  his  men  compact  in  a  body. 
That  completely  spoiled  my  plans,  but  I  had  no  other 
alternative. 

Before  we  got  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the 
outlaws,  they  discovered  the  force  coming  and  mis- 
trusted their  object.  They  raised  a  yell  of  defiance, 
and,  swinging  their  hats  with  whoops  and  hurrahs, 
dashed  out  of  sight  before  the  company  could  be  got 
into  line.  They  succeeded  in  dashing  through  the 
lines,  and  I  have  never  heard  of  them  since. 

The  contraband  goods,  however,  remained  in  my 
possession,  and  I  turned  them  over  to  the  Provost- 
marshal. 

I  was  heartily  vexed  with  the  failure,  and  dis- 
gusted with  the  detective  service,  and  resolved  that 
I  would  never  have  anything  more  to  do  with  it. 
How  well  I  kept  my  resolution  the  sequel  will 
show. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  213 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Reports  to  Major-General  McPherson — Instructions — Disguise — Starts  for 
Vicksburg— Changes  his  route— Reports  to  General  Denver— Acquaint- 
ance with  a  cotton-buyer — Plan  to  make  money — Visit  to  guerrilla  Sol. 
Street— The  arrangement  consummated— Visit  to  General  Price— Arri- 
val at  Jackson — Robbed  of  his  field-glasses — Introduction  to  President 
Davis — Visit  to  Vicksburg— Visit  to  Edwards'  Station— Meets  his  bear- 
hunting  comrades — Visits  Black  River  Bridge — Robbed  of  his  horse — 
The  return — Reports  to  General  McPherson — Reports  to  General  Grant 

HAVING  fully  determined  to  do  no  more  detective 
service,  I  went  to  Colonel  Hillyer,  of  General  Grant's 
staff,  and  told  him  that  I  was  desirous  of  making  a 
trip  to  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  also  to  Yicksburg, 
and  that  General  Ross  had  frequently  promised  me 
an  opportunity  of  doing  so.  The  Colonel  said  that 
he  was  not  Only  willing  but  desirous  that  I  should 
do  so.  He  accordingly  released  me  from  the  detec- 
tive service,  and  I  reported  to  General  McPherson. 
On  reporting  back  to  the  Colonel,  he  gave  me  a  writ- 
ten order,  and  on  that  authority  General  McPherson 
at  once  gave  me  his  instructions,  and  furnished  me 
with  funds  to  supply  myself  with  an  outfit.  I  also  re- 
ceived from  Colonel  Hillyer  a  large  roll  of  Confed- 
erate money,  with  which  to  bear  my  expenses. 

My  instructions  were  to  go  down  on  the  Hernando 
road  from  Memphis  to  Grenada,  and  see  how  many 
troops  were  there,  and  whether  the  enemy  was  forti- 
fying at  that  place,  and  whether  appearances  indicated 


214  THE    GREAT  AMERICAN 

a  determination  to  remain  there  long.  I  was  then 
to  go  on  to  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  see  how  many  troops 
were  there,  and  ascertain,  if  I  could,  from  a  reliable 
source,  whether  the  rebs  were  still  operating  the  Con- 
federate States  armory  at  Columbus,  Miss.,  or  had  re- 
moved it,  as  had  been  reported,  to  the  State  of  Ala- 
bama. Then  I  was  to  go  on  to  Clinton,  Miss.,  and 
see  how  many  troops  were  there  ;  and  then  to  Ed- 
wards' Station,  and  see  what  number  were  there  ;  and 
then  to  Black  Eiver  Bridge,  and  see  its  defences,  and 
gather  all  the  information  that  I  could  concerning 
them,  and  find  out,  if  possible,  how  many  forces  were 
at  Haines'  and  Snydcr's  Bluffs ;  and  then  return  to 
Memphis,  and  if  General  McPherson  was  not  there, 
to  follow  down  the  Mississippi  Eiver  until  I  found 
him. 

When  he  had  finished  his  instructions,  I  said  to 
him,  "  General,  I  am  confident  that  I  can  get  to  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  easy  enough;  but  what  excuse  can  I  make 
or  business  can  I  pretend  to  have  that  will  call  me  to 
Black  River  Bridge  ?  "Why  not  instruct  me  to  go  on 
to  Yicksburg,  and  then  there  can  be  no  suspicion  on 
my  visit  to  the  bridge." 

He  replied,  "Ruggles,  the  Government  has  sent 
six  men  into  Yicksburg  already,  and  none  of  them 
have  returned  ;  it's  of  no  use  to  send  out  men  unless 
they  return.  Act  your  pleasure  about  it,  but  go  no 
further  than  you  can  go  and  get  back." 

I  felt  uneasy  about  trying  to  go  to  Black  Eiver 
Bridge  without  going  to  Yicksburg,  and  I  did  not  like 
to  assume  the  responsibility  without  saying  something 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  215 

about  it,  for  fear  that  I  might  fail  to  get  back.  I  de- 
cided to  go  in  only  on  condition  that  circumstances 
favored  a  certainty  of  return. 

The  disguise  that  I  chose  was  that  of  a  well-to-do 
Southern  planter,  accompanied  by  a  servant — myself 
on  horseback  and  my  servant  mounted  upon  a  mule. 
Spence  went  with  me  as  servant.  We  were  both  of 
us  richly  dressed.  I  carried  on  my  shoulders  a  pair 
of  field-glasses,  and  had  in  my  possession  a  splendid 
gold  watch,  which  was  furnished  me  as  a  part  of  my 
outfit,  and  afterward  given  to  me  by  General  Grant. 
My  hair,  at  that  time,  was  very  long,  hanging  down 
upon  my  shoulders.  I  wore  a  very  broad-brimmed 
black  hat. 

Everything  being  read}r,  I  started  out  on  the  road 
leading  to  Hernando  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  day 
of  February,  1863.  Passing  a  farm-house,  a  little 
boy,  of  about  two  and  a  half  years,  came  out  of  the 
gate  and  says,  "Mister,  thar's  Yankees  clown  thar, 
and  you'd  better  look  out  or  they'll  get  you."  Bather 
a  young  counsellor  thought  I,  but  we  moved  on. 

When  we  were  fairly  outside  of  the  Federal  lines, 
Spence  began  to  reflect  on  what  the  consequences 
would  be  if  I  were  found  out  to  be  a  spy.  After 
riding  several  miles  without  saying  a  word,  and  ap- 
pearing to  be  more  than  usually  serious,  he  said : 
"  Mr.  Bunker,  a'n't  you  gwine  right  down  in  among 
de  rebils  ?" 

"Yes;  why?" 

"If  de  secesh  dun  git  us,  won't  dey  hang  us 
both  ?" 


216  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  You  keep  that  to  yourself;  if  you  don't  they  will 
certainly  hang  us  both.  Remember  what  I  say  ;  all 
you  have  to  do  is  to  obey  me  promptly  at  all  times. 
You  must  be  my  nigger — raised  with  me,  and  just  a 
day  and  a  half  older  than  I  am.  Do  you  understand 
me?" 

"  I  spects  dat  I  do." 

"  No  matter,"  I  continued,  "  how  much  I  scold  or 
boot  you,  you  must  carry  out  the  character  of  a  tip- 
top genteel  nigger  waiter  ;  and  you  must  make  every- 
body think  that  you  have  got  the  best  master  in  the 
world.  Can  you  do  it  ?" 

"  I  spects  dat  I  can." 

Spence  was  too  deeply  impressed  with  the  reality 
of  the  situation  to  say  much  ;  but,  however  much  he 
feared  the  consequences  of  a  discovery,  he  acted  well 
the  part  assigned  him,  and  that,  too,  knowing  the 
certain  fate  awaiting  him  if  my  real  character  should 
be  found  out. 

At  the  time  that  I  started,  the  weather  had  been 
rainy  for  some  time,  and  the  ground  had  become 
completely  saturated  with  water,  the  roads  muddy, 
and  the  streams  very  high.  I  had  gone  but  about 
twenty  miles,  when  I  found  that  the  bridges  across  the 
streams  had  all  been  destroyed,  either  by  the  enemy 
or  swept  off  by  the  water,  and  that  they  were  too 
high  for  me  to  ford  them. 

I  then  turned  to  go  back  to  Memphis,  but  I  found 
that  a  squad  of  guerrillas  had  got  between  me  and 
the  city.  Not  wishing  to  encounter  them,  I  made  my 
way  across  to  Lafayette,  a  town  on  the  Memphis  and 


SCOUT   AND  SPY.  217 

Charleston  Railroad.  At  that  place  I  found  General 
Lee.  I  called  on  him,  and  requested  him  to  inform 
General  McPherson  that  on  account  of  the  high 
water,  I  was  unable  to  get  through  on  the  Hernando 
road.  From  Lafayette  I  went  to  Lagrange,  at  which 
place  I  found  General  Denver.  I  requested  of  him 
a  pass  to  go  through  his  lines.  He  inquired  who  I 
was.  I  told  him,  and  to  convince  him,  showed  him 
the  order  Colonel  Hilly er  gave  me  to  scout  in  Mem- 
phis ;  but,  for  some  reason  best  known  to  himself,  he 
took  the  order  away  from  me.  It  was  raining  at  the 
time  I  asked  for  the  pass,  and  I  requested  to  have  it 
dated  for  the  next  day.  The  Adjutant  remarked  that 
if  I  had  it  dated  a  day  ahead  it  would  afford  me  a 
fine  opportunity  to  see  how  many  forces  they  had  be- 
fore I  went  out.  A  pass  was  granted  me,  however, 
to  go  out,  but  not  to  return,  and  I  remained  at  La- 
grange  until  the  next  clay!  I  think  that  General 
Denver  doubted  my  being  a  Federal  scout.  Not  ex- 
pecting to  pass  any  Federal  lines,  except  when  I  left 
Memphis,  I  had  no  pass  proper  for  the  occasion,  and 
showed  the  order  tliat  I  had,  for  want  of  something 
better. 

I  put  up  at  a  house  of  entertainment  kept  by  a 
Mr.  Lee,  where  I  met  with  a  cotton  buyer  by  the 
name  of  Hall,  who  was  boarding  at  the  same  place. 
In  the  course  of  our  conversation  something  was  said 
about  a  noted  guerrilla  by  the  name  of  Solomon  G. 
Street.  I  remarked,  "I  don't  see  how  it  comes  that 
Sol.  Street  has  managed  to  make  himself  so  noted  ;  he 
is  a  man  that  very  little  was  said  about  before  the  war." 


218  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"Do  you  know  Sol.  Street?"  said  the  cotton- 
buyer. 

"  Yes,  I  have  known  him  for  ten  or  twelve  years. 
I  knew  him  when  he  lived  in  Memphis,  and  then 
afterward  when  he  lived  on  Island  40,  and  then  again 
when  he  moved  up  to  the  foot  of  Island  37." 

"  Now,  see  here,"  said  Hall ;  "  you  want  to  make 
money  and  I  want  to  make  money,  and  now  is  the 
time  to  do  it.  If  you  are  acquainted  with  Sol.  Street 
you  can  arrange  the  matter  so  as  to  make  a  hand- 
some thing  of  it  for  both  of  us." 

"How  so?" 

"  Well,  I  will  tell  you.  Sol.  Street  has  got  about 
eighty  guerrillas  stationed  back  in  the  country  a  few 
miles,  and  in  their  rear  there  is  a  large  amount  of 
cotton.  I  have  seen  it,  and  it  is  worth  eighty  cents  a 
pound.  He  likes  money  as  well  as  either  of  us. 
Now,  if  you  will  see  him,  and  get  him  to  give  you 
a  writing  that  he  will  withdraw  his  men  for  ten  days, 
and  let  Government  teams  in  there,  without  molest- 
ing them,  to  haul  the  cotton  away,  I  will  give  Sol. 
one-half  the  proceeds  of  the  cotton  at  eighty  cents  a 
pound,  and  I  will  give  you  $5,000  of  my  share,  and 
you  shall  see  the  cotton  weighed  and  carry  Sol.'s 
money  to  him." 

' '  That  would  really  be  a  nice  little  spec,  wouldn't 
it?" 

"  Yes  ;  and  now  is  the  time  to  strike." 

"  Well,  I  am  going  down  into  the  Confederacy  to 
be  gone  several  days,  perhaps  two  weeks,  and  I  will 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  219 

try  and  see  Sol.  Street  and  find  out  what  he  will  do 
about  it,  and  will  let  you  know  on  my  return." 

"Well,  do.  I  am  sure  that  you  can't  make  five 
thousand  dollars  easier." 

In  the  morning  I  resumed  my  journey,  and  had 
proceeded  as  far  as  Waterford,  when  I  accidentally 
come  across  Sol.  Street.  He  immediately  recog- 
nized me  as  an  old  acquaintance.  After  convers- 
ing a  while,  I  said  to  him,  "Sol.,  you  like  to  make 
money  and  so  do  I,  and  it  don't  matter  much  how 
we  make  it,  either.  I  know  of  a  chance  for  both  of 
us  to  make  something." 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"There  is  a  large  lot  of  cotton  in  your  rear,  and 
there  is  a  Yankee  cotton-buyer,  that  has  seen  the 
cotton,  who  says  it  is  worth  eighty  cents  a  pound, 
and  that  if  you  will  agree  to  withdraw  your  men  for 
ten  days,  and  allow  him,  unmolested,  to  haul  the  cot- 
ton out  with  Federal  teams,  he  will  sell  the  cotton 
and  pay  over  to  me  one-half  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
cotton  for  you,  and  will  give  me  five  thousand  dol- 
lars. What  do  you  think  of  that,  Sol  ?" 

"  Will  you  be  responsible  to  me  for  my  share  ?" 

I  said  I  would  be  responsible  for  what  I  had  to  do 
myself,  but  not  for  what  others  are  to  do.  But  if  the 
man  does  not  pay  the  one-half  for  the  cotton,  I  will 
decoy  him  out  and  we  will  dispatch  him,  and  take 
the  whole  of  it. 

"  I  am  bound  to  make  money  out  of  this  war,  and 
I  don't  care  how  I  do  it." 


220  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

"That's  the  understanding  then,  is  it?" 

"  Yes,  and  when  you  get  ready  to  have  the  cotton 
out,  let  me  know  it,  and  I'll  withdraw  the  men." 

However  well  I  had  completed  the  arrangements, 
I  had  no  intention  of  participating  in  a  traffic  of  that 
kind  on  my  own  responsibility.  I  relate  it  merely 
that  the  reader  may  see  one  of  the  internal  phases 
of  this  monstrous  rebellion.  Others  have  made 
money  in  that  way. 

The  journey  from  Waterford  to  Grenada  was  a 
painfully  lonesome  one.  Not  a  human  being,  save  a 
few  citizens  at  Oxford,  were  seen  to  enliven  the 
solitude  that  prevailed.  Scarcely  a  living  being  was 
to  be  seen,  save  perhaps,  now  and  then,  a  poor,  old 
blind  and  crippled  mule  or  horse,  in  the  last  stages 
of  starvation.  Even  the  feathered  songsters  of  the 
forest  seemed  to  realize  the  utter  desolation  that 
prevailed.,  and  lent,  by  their  silence  and  seclusion,  to 
that  inexpressible  gloom.  Scarcely  a  fence  or  plan- 
tation-house remained  to  mark  the  place  where  peace 
and  prosperity  had  once  existed.  Huge  chimney- 
stacks  pointed  out  where  the  consuming  elements  had 
been,  and  stood  as  monuments  of  retribution  that  was 
being  meted  out  to  those  whose  folly  had  led  them  to 
participate  in  their  own  fearful  destruction.  I  invol- 
untarily exclaimed,  "Surely,  the  way  of  the  trans- 
gressor is  hard!" 

On  my  arrival  at  the  rebel  lines,  near  Grenada, 
I  experienced  no  difficulty  in  passing,  and,  with- 
out having  met  with  any  obstacles  after  leaving  the 
Federal  lines,  I  was  once  more  a  sojourner  in  Grenada. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  221 

There  I  found  the  place  garrisoned  by  a  small  body  of 
troops,  composed  of  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery, 
and  considerably  improved  in  appearance  since  my 
last  visit  to  the  place. 

I  repaired  at  once  to  General  Price's  headquarters, 
and  there  I  found  General  Wheeler,  whom  I  have 
mentioned  as  having  met  me  before  in  the  rebel  army, 
at  General  Van  Corn's  headquarters.  I  asked  Gen- 
eral Price  for  a  pass  to  visit  Jackson,  and  for  the 
privilege  of  leaving  my  horse  and  mule  with  his 
headquarter  horses  until  my  return,  which  was 
granted,  While  there,  I  found  out  that  General 
Wheeler  had  just  received  a  permit  to  visit  Jack- 
son, so  I  proposed  to  accompany  him,  to  which  he 
assented,  and  we  both  took  the  cars  together. 

At  the  depot  I  met  with  on  old  acquaintance  from 
Arkansas,  from  whom  I  learned  that  three  of  my 
old  bear-hunting  comrades,  by  the  names  of  Samuel 
Teel,  Henry  Thomas,  and  Lemuel  Mclntosh,  were  in 
the  10th  Arkansas  Infantry,  and  that  the  regiment  was 
at  Edwards'  Station,  four  miles  from  Black  River.  I 
knew  that  Teel  had  been  a  regular  canebrake  ranger, 
and  I  concluded  that,  if  I  could  find  him,  I  could  con- 
trive some  way  to  get  safely  to  Black  River  bridge. 

On  our  way  down,  General  Wheeler  told  me 
that  President  Davis  was  to  be  at  Jackson,  and  that 
his  business  down  there  was  to  see  the  President. 
The  idea  of  seeing  Jeff.  Davis  pleased  me.  I  told 
the  general  that  I  was  glad  to  hear  that  the  presi- 
dent was  to  be  there,  for  I  had  never  been  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  have  naet  him,  and  that  I  should  be  very 


222  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

happy  to  make  his  acquaintance.  He  promised  that 
if  an  opportunity  occurred,  he  would  give  me  an  in- 
troduction. 

On  our  arrival  at  Jackson,  we  repaired  at  once  to 
the  Confederate  House,  registered  our  names,  and 
procured  rooms.  Before  I  had  been  shown  to  my 
room,  a  general  (I  had  learned  afterward)  from  South 
Carolina,  stepped  up  to  me,  and,  taking  my  field- 
glasses  from  my  shoulders  and  placing  them  upon 
his  own,  said  :  "  Citizens  have  no  use  for  such  things, 
and  generals  have." 

"Take  them,  general ;  take  them  along,  sir!  I  am 
willing  to  do  anything  for  our  Government. 

I  knew  that  it  would  do  no  good  to  object,  but  I 
should  have  been  better  pleased  if  he  had  as  much 
as  thanked  me  for  them,  but,  instead,  he  walked  off 
with  as  much  dignity  as  if  "Monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veyed." 

Shortly  after  our  arrival,  I  entered  the  sitting- 
room,  in  company  with  General  Wheeler,  where  we 
found  President  Davis  and  his  attendants,  and  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Joseph  Johnston.  Among  the  attend- 
ants were  several  generals,  whose  names  I  did  not 
learn ;  one  of  them,  however,  had  my  field-glasses. 
General  Wheeler  approached  the  President  and  in- 
troduced himself,  and  then  introduced  me  as  a  brother 
of  General  Ruggles.  He  also  introduced  me,  in  the 
same  way,  to  General  Johnston. 

I  remained  at  the  Confederate  House  four  days,  at 
an  expense  of  thirteen  dollars  per  day  for  myself 
and  servant.  During  our  stay,  Spence  came  in  for 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  223 

his  share  of  notoriety.  He  was  remarkably  attentive 
to  my  wants  and  scrupulously  exact  in  all  his  ar- 
rangements of  my  toilet.  His  own  clothing  was 
richer  than  that  of  any  body-servant  at  the  hotel, 
and  he  kept  it  perfectly  clean.  His  superior  dress 
helped  him  wonderfully  in  carrying  out  the  character 
he  had  assumed.  It  was  really  amusing  to  observe 
his  lofty  and  dignified  bearing  among  those  of  his 
own  color. 

After  having  seen  what  I  could  to  advantage  in 
Jackson,  I  went  to  General  Johnston  and  showed 
him  my  pass  from  G-eneral  Price,  and  told  him  that 
I  wanted  him,  if  agreeable  to  his  good-will  and 
pleasure,  to  give  me  a  permit  to  visit  Yicksburg  and 
return.  I  told  him  that  I  had  some  friends  in  there, 
and,  as  we  did  not  always  know  what  might  be  the 
fortunes  of  war,  I  was  extremely  anxious  to  see  them. 
He  made  no  hesitation  about  it,  but  immediately 
ordered  the  required  pass  for  a  period  of  ten  days, 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Provost-marshal  in 
Vicksburg,  whenever  I  wished  to  return. 

I  took  the  cars  the  same  day,  and  went  into  Vicks- 
burg, where  I  remained  two  days.  I  found  a  force 
of  ten  regiments  of  infantry  there,  and,  as  near  as  I 
could  judge,  200  heavy  artillery.  From  what  I 
could  learn,  there  was  at  Haines'  Bluff  about  12,000 
troops.  The  batteries  along  the  river  were  very 
formidable,  and  seemed  to  me  sufficient,  if  well 
served,  to  annihilate  any  water  craft  that  might  un- 
dertake to  pass. 

At  the  expiration  of  two  days,  I  went  to  the  Pro- 


224  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

vost-marshal  and  got  my  pass  approved,  and  re- 
turned as  far  as  Edwards'  Station,  where  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  find  my  old  friends,  whose  names  I 
have  mentioned.  They  were  very  much  delighted  to 
see  me.  Sam.  Teel  still  carried  his  old  favorite  rifle, 
which  he  called  "  Old  Bill."  This  rifle  I  sold  to  him 
twelve  years  before.  It  was  manufactured  by  Mr. 
Andrews,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Many  a  bear  had  I 
seen  succumb  to  its  unerring  aim.  The  next  day 
after  my  arrival,  Sam.  Teel  procured  a  pass  for  him- 
self and  three  others  (mentioning  our  names)  to  visit 
Black  River  and  fish.  We  went  directly  to  the 
bridge,  and  then  rambled  up  and  down  the  stream 
as  much  as  we  pleased.  Teel  showed  me  how  they 
had  blockaded  the  river  below  the  bridge  by  sinking 
two  small  steamboats,  one  a  little  above  the  other, 
to  keep  our  gunboats  from  coming  up  to  the  bridge. 
The  bridge  and  its  approaches  was  guarded  by  a 
force  of  1,000  men.  It  was  nearly  night  when  we 
returned  to  camp.  At  Edwards'  Station,  I  found  a 
force  of  40,000  men.  I  remained  there  five  days, 
and  then  returned  to  Jackson  on  foot. 

At  Clinton,  a  smart  little  place,  ten  miles  west  of 
Jackson,  I  saw  one  regiment  of  infantry.  At  Jack- 
son there  was  but  one  regiment  of  infantry ;  that 
was  the  17th  Mississippi  Zouaves,  called  the  "Pride 
of  the  Confederacy,"  and  armed  with  Colt's  revolv- 
ing rifles.  I  was  informed  in  Jackson  that  the  ar- 
mory at  Columbus,  Miss.,  had  been  removed  into  the 
State  of  Alabama. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  225 

Having  found  out  all  that  had  been  required  of 
me  in  my  instructions,  I  thought  it  was  best  to  re- 
turn. Accordingly,  I  again  visited  General  John- 
ston, and  requested  a  pass  to  Grenada,  which  was 
granted. 

On  arriving  at  General  Price's  headquarters,  I 
found  that  during  my  absence  my  horse  had  been 
taken.  I  made  no  complaint  about  it,  but  contin- 
ued my  journey  with  my  mule  and  servant.  Just 
before  night,  on  the  first  day  out  from  Grenada,  I 
passed  a  stable  that  contained  a  very  good-looking 
horse.  I  proceeded  on  about  two  miles,  and  halted 
until  after  dark,  when,  leaving  my  servant  and  mule 
until  my  return,  I  procured  a  horse,  and  we  rode  all 
night,  and  the  next  day  without  halting,  exceptfor 
refreshments  ;  we  returned  to  the  Federal  lines  with- 
out difficulty. 

On  our  arrival  at  Memphis,  being  unable  to  pro- 
cure transportation  down  the  river  for  my  horse  and 
mule,  I  turned  the  former  over  to  the  post  Quarter- 
master, and  left  the  latter  at  my  old  boarding-place, 
on  Adams-street.  It  was  the  same  mule  that  had 
been  given  to  me  by  General  Eoss,  and  taken  from 
me  by  the  outlaws.  I  then  took  a  steamboat  passage 
to  Lake  Providence,  La.,  where  I  found  General 
McPherson. 

Having  heard  my  report,  the  general  expressed  a 
doubt  about  the  two  steamboats  that  I  have  spoken 
of  being  sunk  in  Black  Kiver,  below  the  bridge.  In 
order  to  test  my  reliability,  he  questioned  me  about 


226  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

what  kind  of  a  man  General  Wheeler  was,  his  stat- 
ure, weight,  complexion,  etc.,  and  intimated  that  he 
was  a  very  large  man.  I  told  him  that  he  was  mis- 
taken, or  else  the  General  Wheeler  that  he  knew  and 
the  one  that  I  knew  were  two  different  persons.  He 
then  told  me  that  he  and  General  Wheeler  both  at- 
tended the  Military  School  at  West  Point  at  the 
same  time,  and  that  he  knew  him  well,  and  that  I 
described  him  exactly.  I  afterward  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  proving  to  him  that  I  was  correct  about 
the  sunken  steamboats,  by  taking  him  in  person  to 
the  place  and  showing  him  the  remains  of  them. 

After  I  had  finished  my  report  to  General  Mc- 
Pherson,  he  sent  me  to  General  Grant,  who  was  then 
at  Milliken's  Bend,  La.  I  reported  to  him  all  the 
particulars  of  my  trip,  even  to  the  conversation  that 
I  had  held  with  Hall,  the  cotton-buyer,  and  Sol. 
Street,  the  guerrilla.  I  also  asked  the  general  if 
there  would  be  any  harm  in  such  outside  transactions. 
I  told  him  that  if  I  was  alldwed  to  do  it,  I  could  pay 
my  own  expenses  in  the  secret  service,  and  thereby 
save  that  much  expense  to  the  Government. 

Said  he,  "Ruggles,  don't  you  have  any  business 
transactions  with  outlaws  ;  if  you  do,  I  shall  certainly 
disgrace  you.  Do  a  straightforward,  honest  business 
for  the  Government,  and  then,  if  you  should  ever 
need  any  assistance,  come  to  me  about  it,  and  I  will 
see  that  you  have  all  the  help  that  you  need.  A 
good  name,  well  earned,  is  worth  more  to  you  than 
all  you  can  make  by  unlawful  traffic." 

I  think  the  General's  advice  was  excellent.     At 


SCOUT  AND    SPY.  227 

all  events,  I  have  followed  it,  and  saved  myself  the 
disgrace  that  has  since  fallen  upon  many,  far  my  su- 
periors in  rank.  I  have  never  seen  the  cotton-buyer 
nor  the  guerrilla  since. 


228  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Return  to  Mississippi— Instructions— Visit  to  Troy— Movement  of  cavalry 
— Reports  to  General  Denver — Is  arrested — Federal  Cavalry  driven 
back— Is  released— Visits  Greenwood— Journey  to  the  Mississippi  River 
— The  perilous  crossing — Again  arrested — Interview  with  General  Pren- 
tiss — Takes  the  oath  of  allegiance — Meets  a  friend — Makes  his  escape 
— Reports  to  General  Grant. 

WHEN  General  Grant  had  heard  my  report  of 
my  Mississippi  trip,  he  supplied  me  with  funds,  and 
requested  me  to  return  into  the  Confederacy,  to  what- 
ever place  I  thought  proper,  and  remain  until  I  saw 
a  movement  which  I  considered  worthy  of  his  notice, 
and  then  immediately  return. 

With  these  instructions,  I  started  for  Memphis, 
leaving  my  servant  Spence  to  report  himself  to  the 
company  commander. 

At  the  time  I  undertook  to  make  the  trip,  a  part 
of  the  army  operating  for  the  capture  of  Yicksburg 
was  engaged  in  trying  to  get  through  the  Yazoo  Pass 
into  the  Yazoo  Elver.  A  part  wras  at  Lake  Provi- 
dence, a  part  at  Milliken's  Bend,  and  the  rest  at 
Young's  Point ;  the  three  latter  places  are  in  Louisi- 
ana, and  the  former  in  Mississippi. 

I  made  up  my  mind  to  visit  that  part  of  Missis- 
sippi through  which  any  force  designing  to  operate 
against  General  Grant's  movements  might  be  seen,  in 
time  to  communicate  the  fact  to  General  Grant. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  229 

Supposing  that  I  might  have  swamps  and  rivers 
to  cross,  which  would  have  to  be  accomplished  in 
canoes  or  on  rafts,  I  determined  to  make  the  trip  on 
foot. 

I  left  Memphis  some  time  in  the  latter  part  of 
March,  in  the  same  dress  that  I  had  worn  on  the 
previous  trip,  and  directed  my  course  to  Grenada, 
on  the  Hernando  road.  I  met  with  nothing  of  inter- 
est on  the  entire  road  to  Grenada,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  miles. 

On  my  arrival  at  Grenada,  I  found  the  forces  that 
were  there  on  my  last  visit  to  the  place,  under  com- 
mand of  General  Price,  gone,  except  the  conva- 
lescents. 

General  Price,  as  I  learned,  had  gone  to  Missouri. 
At  that  time,  however,  I  supposed  his  forces  were  at 
Fort  Pcmberton,  near  Greenwood,  Miss.,  resisting 
the  advance  of  the  Federal  force  through  the  Yazoo 
Pass. 

From  Grenada  I  intended  to  visit  Yazoo  City,  and 
left  for  that  purpose  the  next  morning  after  my  ar- 
rival, on  the  road  to  Troy,  which  place  I  reached 
about  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  There  I  remained 
until  the  next  morning,  and  was  about  resuming  my 
journey,  when  a  force  of  five  regiments  of  cavalry 
made  its  appearance,  coming  in  on  the  same  road  that 
I  intended  to  take  out.  They  passed  through  Troy, 
and  took  the  direct  road  to  Coffeeville.  I  followed 
them  on  foot,  and  on  my  arrival  at  Cofifeeville,  I 
found  them  halted  for  the  night.  I  had  been  there 
only  a  few  minutes,  when  another  cavalry  force  of  five 


230  THE    GEE  AT   AMERICAN 

regiments  came  in  on  the  road  from  Grenada,  and 
halted  for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  a  council  was  held  by  the  com- 
manding officers,  but  I  was  unable  to  learn  the  sub- 
ject of  discussion.  The  opinion  prevailed  among  the 
troops  that  they  were  a  part  of  the  force  designed  to 
take  Memphis. 

I  was  of  a  different  opinion.  I  did  not  think  that 
they  could  bring  to  bear  a  sufficient  force  to  take  the 
place,  and  from  what  I  had  heard  from  the  line  of- 
ficers, I  concluded  they  intended  an  attempt  to  cap- 
ture Fort  Randolph,  above  Memphis,  and  intercept 
the  supplies  being  sent  below  for  General  Grant's 
army.  I  felt  convinced  that  the  movement  was  of 
such  importance  as  to  warrant  me  in  reporting  it, 
and,  not  knowing  how  rapid  the  movement  might  be, 
I  determined  to  report  to  the  nearest  Federal  com- 
mander. 

Soon  after  the  council  of  officers  was  held,  the 
force  started — the  first  five  regiments  on  the  road  to 
Holly  Springs,  and  the  other  five  on  the  road  to  Her- 
nando.  I  accompanied  the  first. 

One  of  the  soldiers  had  an  extra  horse,  which  I 
persuaded  him  to  let  me  ride.  The  march  was  con- 
tinued to  Lumpkins'  Mills,  where  the  regiments  halted. 
There  I  turned  my  horse  over  to  its  owner,  and  be- 
fore any  pickets  were  thrown  out  I  was  on  my  way 
to  Lagrange,  which  place  I  succeeded  in  reaching 
without  any  interruption. 

At  the  Yacona  River  a  little   incident  occurred 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  231 

which  amused  me  considerably.  Previous  to  evacu- 
ating that  position,  the  Federal  troops  destroyed  the 
bridge  across  the  river.  The  water  in  the  stream  at 
that  place  was  quite  shallow,  but  the  mud  was  ex- 
ceedingly soft  and  very  deep,  and  the  banks  at  the 
immediate  edge  of  the  water  very  steep  and  high  for 
a  horse  to  step  from.  The  general  in  command  of 
the  force  attempted  to  cross  in  advance  of  his  com- 
mand, and  his  horse,  in  stepping  from  the  edge  of  the 
bank  into  the  water  with  its  fore  feet,  plunged  in  so 
unexpectedly  deep  that  he  precipitated  the  general 
over  his  head  into  the  water.  By  the  time  he  had 
established  himself  on  terra  jirma,  he  was,  from  his 
sousing  in  the  mud  and  water,  a  ludicrous  looking 
personage. 

On  my  arrival  at  Lagrange,  I  immediately  re- 
ported the  movements  of  the  enemy  to  General 
Denver.  For  some  reason,  best  known  to  himself, 
he  did  not  credit  my  report,  and  detained  me  under 
arrest  until  he  could  ascertain  the  truth  of  the 
matter. 

I  told  the  general  my  instructions,  and  assured 
him  that  I  thought  the  movement  of  the  enemy  was 
one  worthy  of  notice.  A  regiment  of  cavalry  was 
then  sent  out  to  reconnoitre,  and  when  near  Holly 
Springs  they  encountered  the  enemy,  and  a  sharp 
engagement  took  place,  in  which  the  superior  num- 
bers of  the  enemy  enabled  them  to  drive  the  Fed- 
erals back,  with  a  loss  of  eighteen  killed  and  wounded. 
At  the  end  of  three  days  the  regiment  returned,  and 


232  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

the  general  was  convinced  that  a  part  of  my  report, 
at  least,  was  true.  He  then  told  me  that  I  had 
better  report  the  movement  to  General  Grant. 

I  replied,  "I  have  been  of  that  opinion  for  three 
days." 

I  then  determined  to  penetrate  the  country  be- 
tween Hernando  and  Coffeeville  to  Greenwood,  and 
find  out  the  locality  of  the  other  five  regiments  of 
cavalry,  and  see  the  position  and  force  of  the  enemy 
at  Greenwood,  and,  if  possible,  communicate  with 
General  Ross,  and  then  make  my  way  across  to  the 
Mississippi  Eiver,  and  then  to  General  Grant's  head- 
quarters at  Milliken's  Bend,  La. 

In  crossing  the  country,  I  left  Hernando  to  my 
right,  but  learned,  by  citizens,  that  the  cavalry 
stopped  at  that  place,  and  that  General  Hurlbut  had 
sent  a  small  force  of  cavalry  to  reconnoitre,  which, 
like  the  one  General  Denver  sent  out,  was  driven 
back  with  considerable  loss. 

On  arriving  at  Greenwood,  I  found  that  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  the  rebel  force  was  twenty  miles  below  ; 
to  which  place  I  went.  The  force  there  at  that  time 
was  a  division  of  fourteen  regiments  of  infantry,  un- 
der General  Tighlman,  and  one  other  division  of  in- 
fantry, under  whose  command  I  did  not  learn,  and 
some  artillery. 

At  the  time  of  my  arrival,  the  rebs  had  erected  a 
battery  on  a  flat  near  the  river,  which  they  flattered 
themselves  would  do  immense  execution  upon  the  Yan- 
kee fleet.  The  Yankees,  during  its  erection,  cut 
the  levee  above,  and  in  the  morning  the  rebs  were 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  233 

chagrined  to  find  the  flat  overflowed  with  three  feet 
of  water. 

I  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  communicate  with 
General  Ross,  and  the  cutting  of  the  levee  had  very 
much  increased  the  difficulty  of  so  doing.  I  made  a 
great  many  inquiries  concerning  the  Yankee  fleet  and 
the  danger  of  crossing  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river.  The  soldiers  assured  me  that  every  person 
that  had  attempted  to  cross  had  been  fired  into  by 
Federal  gunboats.  The  overflow  of  water  made  it 
impossible  to  reach  General  Ross  from  the  side  I  was 
on.  My  anxiety  to  do  so  caused  me  to  make  several 
indiscreet  inquiries  of  the  rebel  soldiers,  which,  I  was 
convinced,  made  them  somewhat  suspicious  of  me, 
and  I  thought  it  not  advisable  to  remain  there  longer 
than  was  absolutely  necessary. 

On  reflecting  upon  what  course  to  pursue,  I  de- 
cided that  the  safest  way  would  be  for  me  to  make 
my  way  to  the  Mississippi  River,  opposite  Helena. 
With  that  determination,  I  left  the  rebel  force  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  next  day  after  my  arrival,  and  re- 
traced my  way  twelve  miles  toward  Greenwood, 
and  there  I  took  to  the  left  on  the  bluff  road  that 
leads  to  the  river,  opposite  Helena. 

So  strong  had  my  fears  been  excited  for  my  safety, 
by  the  suspicions  caused  by  my  indiscreet  inquiries, 
that  I  did  not  feel  safe  to  stop  at  any  plantation- 
house  overnight,  but  stayed  by  myself  in  the  woods. 

Fortunately,  the  enemy  did  not  suspicion  me 
strong  enough  to  induce  them  to  follow.  After  seven 
days'  hard  walking,  I  arrived  at  Crowder's  plan- 


234  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

tation,  on   the  Mississippi  Eiver,  near  the  foot  of 
Island  No.  60,  without  any  molestation. 

I  was  then  three  miles  from  Helena,  with  the 
Father  of  Waters  between,  and  no  means  of  trans- 
portation across.  I  immediately  commenced  a  search 
for  some  means  of  crossing.  After  spending  several 
hours  in  search  of  a  boat,  I  found  a  Dutchman,  who 
owned  an  old  leaky  dug-out,  which  was  very  small 
and  extremely  unsafe  for  even  one  person  to  cross 
in.  I  concluded,  however,  that  if  I  could  buy  it,  I 
would  make  an  attempt.  The  Dutchman  asked  me 
ten  dollars  for  it,  and  could  not  be  induced  to  take 
anything  less.  I  took  it,  at  last,  and  paid  him  ten 
dollars  in  Confederate  money. 

I  embarked  in  it  and  undertook  to  cross.  The 
water  came  in  on  me  rapidly,  and  by  the  time  I  had 
reached  the  sand-bar  at  the  foot  of  Island  60,  my 
frail  bark  was  so  full  of  water  that  I  was  in  imminent 
danger  of  going  down. 

I  landed  on  the  bar,  and  drew  my  dug-out  upon 
the  sand  and  emptied  out  the  water.  I  had  still  all 
of  two  miles  further  to  go,  without  any  intervening 
place  on  which  to  land,  and  before  re-embarking  it 
was  necessary  to  contrive  some  way  to  stop  the 
leaks. 

Several  years  previous  to  that  time  I  had  been  en- 
gaged in  chopping  steamboat-wood  on  that  very 
island.  Two  winters  I  had  chopped  wood  there  ; 
consequently,  I  was  no  stranger  to  the  locality. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  I  landed, 
near  an  old  wood-chopper's  shanty,  I  found  an  old 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  235 

shirt ;  with  that  I  stopped  some  of  the  worst  leaks, 
which  having  accomplished,  I  re-embarked  on  my 
perilous  voyage.  I  kept  my  bark  to  the  north  of 
the  middle  bar,  and  ran  into  the  Sterling  chute,  and 
then  landed  at  Helena,  near  the  foot  of  Main-street. 

The  moment  my  dug-out  touched  the  shore,  two 
guards  stood  ready  to  capture  me,  and  accosted  me 
with  : 

"  Hallo,  old  fellow!  what's  the  news  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river  ?" 

"The  news  is  favorable,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  I  reckon  we'll  have  to  take  you  to  the 
Provost-marshal,"  said  one  of  the  guards. 

"  Boys,  I  am  a  soldier,  and  I  want  you  to  take  me 
to  the  general  in  command  of  the  post." 

"  Our  instructions  are  to  take  all  such  customers 
as  you  are  to  the  Provost-marshal." 

"I  can't  help  that,  I  am  a  Federal  soldier,  and  I 
want  you  to  take  me  to  the  general." 

They  then  called  the  corporal  of  the  guard.  I 
knew  him  ;  he  belonged  to  the  25th  Indiana  Infantry. 
I  had  frequently  seen  him  in  Memphis,  during  my 
stay  there  in  the  winter ;  but  he  knew  me  as  my 
secesh  acquaintances  had  known  me — as  a  rebel 
major.  I  prevailed  on  him,  however,  to  send  me  to 
the  general,  whom  I  learned  from  him  was  General 
Prentiss. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  general's  quarters, 
the  guards  explained  how  they  had  captured  me, 
and  then  returned  to  their  post,  leaving  me  with  the 
general. 


I 


236  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

When  ready  to  attend  to  me,  he  said :  "  Well, 
where  do  you  belong  ?" 

"To  General  Grant's  army." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?" 

"  I  came  in  from  the  other  side  of  the  river." 

"  What  do  you  want  here  ?" 

"  I  want  to  take  a  steamboat  down  the  river  and 
report  myself  to  General  Grant." 

"  Yes,  to  General  Grant !  That  would  be  a  nice 
way  to  get  off?  I  guess  the  best  place  for  you  to  re- 
port is  to  the  Provost-marshal !" 

"  General,  I  am  a  Mississippian,  and  a  soldier 
sworn  into  the  service  of  the  United  States ;  and  I 
belong  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  under  General 
Grant ;  the  17th  Army  Corps,  General  McPherson ; 
the  3d  Division,  General  Logan  ;  the  2d  Brigade, 
General  Leggett ;  the  20th  Ohio  Eegiment,  Colonel 
M.  F.  Force,  and  to  Company  H,  Captain  E.  C. 
Downs  ;  and  I  am  detached  as  a  scout  for  Gen.  Grant." 

"Yes,  a  Mississippian !  There  are  a  great  many 
Mississippians  coming  into  our  lines  nowadays.  Have 
you  any  papers  to  show  that?" 

"  No,  sir,  I  have  not;  but  I  can  tell  you  all  the 
principal  movements  of  the  Federal  army  on  the 
Bast  side  of  the  Mississippi  River,  since  the  capture 
of  Fort  Donelson,  up  to  the  present  time." 

"Well,  what  are  they?" 

I  then  told  him  what  they  were,  and  where  Gener- 
.al  Grant's  forces  then  were  ;  and  then  I  added  :  "I 
can  tdll  you  all  about  your  surrendering  at  Shiloh, 
and  what  Confederate  regiments  captured  you." 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  237 

"  Well,  that's  quite  likely  ;  I  suspected  you  could 
do  as  much.  Now  tell  me  about  the  movements  of 
the  army  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas." 

"  I  can't  do  that,  General." 

"  No,  I  don't  expect  that  you  can.  I  will  now  give 
you  the  following  limits :  You  can  go  from  my  quar- 
ters to  the  Commercial  House,  and  from  there  to  the 
Provost-marshal's  office  and  back  ;  and  if  you  under- 
take to  get  away  I'll  have  you  shot." 

"  General,  I  left  papers  in  General  Denver's  pos- 
session at  Lagrange,  Tenn.,  that  will  show  who  I  am 
and  what  my  business  is." 

"Well,  you  can  have  the  limits  that  I  have  given 
you,  and  if  you  have  got  papers  to  show  who  you  are, 
the  Provost-marshal  will  write  for  you  and  get 
them." 

From  the  general's  quarters  I  went  to  the  Pro- 
vost-marshal, and  requested  him  to  write  to  General 
Denver  for  the  order  he  took  from  me,  when  on  my 
way  to  Yicksburg  and  Jackson,  Miss.  I  learned  from 
him  that  there  was  an  order  from  the  commander  of 
the  post  requiring  all  citizens  within  the  lines  to  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Federal  Government  by 
9  o'clock  of  the  next  day,  or  be  sent  outside  of  the 
lines  toward  Little  Eock. 

I  went  to  General  Prentiss  the  next  morning,  and 
again  assured  him  that  I  was  a  Federal  soldier,  and 
asked  him  if  he  required  me  to  take  the  oath  of  alle- 
giance. 

He  replied,  "  Yes  ;  and  unless  you  do,  you  will  have 
to  leave  the  lines  before  9  o'clock  this  morning." 


238  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

I  then  went  to  the  Provost-marshal  and  took  the 
oath. 

I  had  hoped  that  in  doing  so  I  would  be  released, 
and  allowed  the  full  privilege  of  a  citizen ;  but,  for 
some  reason  not  known  to  me,  I  was  not  released 
from  the  limits  assigned  to  me.  I  could  not  make 
General  Prentiss  nor  the  Provost-marshal  believe  that 
L  was  a  soldier.  Several  of  the  soldiers  in  the  25th 
Indiana  Regiment,  on  provost  duty,  had  known  me 
in  Memphis,  in  my  assumed  character ;  but  I  could 
not  make  them  believe  I  was  a  Federal  soldier.  I  had 
very  little  hopes  of  getting  the  order  that  General 
Denver  had  taken  ftom  me  ;  but  I  felt  almost  sure 
that  among  the  great  number  of  officers  that  I  knew 
in  General  Grant's  army,  some  of  them  would  stop  at 
Helena,  either  going  up  or  down  the  river,  and.  with 
their  assistance,  I  thought  I  could  get  released.  It 
seemed  to  me  as  if  every  steamer  would  have  on 
board  some  one  of  my  numerous  acquaintances  ;  but 
one  came,  and  then  another,  and  still  another,  and  in 
that  way  day  after  day  passed  by,  and  no  familiar  face 
was  seen.  In  that  way  I  spent  nine  days  in  anxious 
suspense. 

At  the  levee,  within-  the  limits  allowed  me,  lay  the 
steamer  Imperial.  She  was  used  for  stationary  pur- 
poses, and  on  board  was  kept  a  saloon  and  various 
refreshments.  I  was  allowed  to  go  on  board  of  her 
whenever  I  desired. 

On  the  ninth  day  after  my  arrest,  I  happened  to 
be  on  board  of  her,  when  the  steamer  Continental 
came  down  the  river,  and,  stopping,  made  fast  along- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  239 

side  of  her.  Before  the  guards  made  their  appear- 
ance, I  jumped  aboard  the  Continental  and  ran  up 
into  the  cabin  in  search  of  some  person  that  I 
knew. 

There  I  found  Colonel  Marsh,  of  the  20th  Illinois 
Regiment.  He  knew  me.  I  told  him  how  I  came  to  be 
there,  and  that  I  wanted  to  get  away  and  report  my- 
self to  General  Grant.  He  was  going  on  shore  at 
the  time  :  he  handed  me  the  key  to  his  state-room, 
and  told  me  to  make  myself  at  home,  and  when  the 
boat  started  he  would  join  me.  In  the  course  of  an 
hour  we  were  under  way,  and  without  any  molestation 
from  the  provost-guards.  Whether  the  Provost-mar- 
shal ever  received  my  order  from  General  Denver,  or 
whether  General  Prentiss  ever  found  out  what  be- 
came of  me,  is  more  than  I  know. 

I  reported  to  General  Grant  the  result  of  my  trip, 
and  why  I  had  been  so  long  getting  to  him.  He  said 
that  I  had  done  right  in  coming  back  when  I  did,  but 
that  I  should  have  reported  the  cavalry  movement  to 
General  Hurlbut,  at  Memphis.  He  then  relieved  me 
from  duty  for  thirty  days,  and  allowed  me  for  that 
time  to  go  where  I  pleased. 

I  will  here  say,  that  I  have  no  doubt  that  Generals 
Denver  and  Prentiss  acted  in  good  faith  on,  their  part, 
and  had  what  seemed  to  them  good  and  sufficient  rea- 
sons for  detaining  me  as  they  did. 

All  the  conversation  that  I  had  with  General  Pren- 
tiss was  no  more  than  a  Confederate  spy  might  have 
had  under  the  same  circumstances. 

Papers  I  very  seldom  carried  about  me  when  in- 


240  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

side  of  the  enemy's  lines  ;  and  in  the  absence  of  such 
evidence,  it  was  sometimes  very  hard  to  convince 
one's  own  friends  of  his  loyalty,  and  equally  as  hard 
for  the  enemy  to  make  him  out  a  spy. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  241 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Return  to  the  regiment— The  Henry  rifle— The  march  from  Milliken'a 
Bend — The  tug  of  war — The  army  crosses  the  Mississippi — Capture  of 
Port  Gibson— Battle  of  Raymond— Amusing  capture— The  charge  on 
Jackson — Battle  of  Champion  Hills — The  rebel  courier — Sharp  shoot- 
ing—The gallant  charge— The  march  to  Vicksburg— The  place  be- 
sieged. 

IT  was  about  the  middle  of  the  month  of  April  that 
I  returned  to  my  regiment,  which  I  found  encamped 
at  Berry's  Landing,  five  miles  above  Lake  Providence, 
La.  It  was  while  there  that  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
examining  one  of  Henry's  volcanic  or  repeating 
rifles,  which  are  capable  of  discharging  sixteen 
shots  without  reloading.  The  one  that  I  saw  was  in 
the  possession  of  the  captain  of  the  steamboat  Supe- 
rior. 

From  my  first  enlistment  I  had  possessed  a  strong 
desire  to  have  a  first-class  rifle  of  the  most  modern 
improvement.  The  promise  of  such  a  gun  was  the 
principal  condition  on  which  I  enlisted.  It  was  several 
months  after  I  enlisted  before  I  received  in  exchange 
for  my  "handspike"  (musket)  the  Enfield  that  was 
promised  to  me. 

My  long  experience  as  a  bear-hunter  in  the  Western 
wilderness  had  made  me  expert  with  the  rifle,  and 
my  desire  to  have  a  piece  with  which  I  could  excel 
at  sharp-shooting,  if  ever  an  opportunity  offered,  had 


242  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

become  intense,  and  the  organizing  campaign  against 
Vicksburg  seemed  to  promise  the  desired  opportu- 
nity. 

I  went  to  General  Grant  and  told  him  about  the 
gun,  and  that  I  wished  to  purchase  it  and  carry  it. 
He  asked  me  if  I  thought  I  could  carry  so  valuable 
a  piece  without  losing  it.  "I  think  I  can"  was  my 
reply. 

'•  Very  well ;  tell  General  McPherson  to  get  you 
the  rifle." 

I  saw  General  McPherson  about  it,  and  he  gave 
me  permission  to  purchase  and  carry  it. 

It  was  a  most  beautiful  piece,  with  steel  barrel  and 
chamber.  The  captain  who  owned  it  was  so  much 
attached  to  it  that  he  hated  to  part  with  it,  but  at  last 
he  yielded  to  my  importunities,  and  sold  me  the  rifle 
for  sixty-five  dollars,  including  what  cartridges  he  had. 

My  release  from  duty  afforded  me  a  splendid  op- 
portunity of  practising  with  it.  I  was  perfectly  de- 
lighted with  its  execution.  Its  accuracy  and  long- 
range  was  a  marvel  compared  with  the  best  feats  of 
marksmanship  that  I  had  seen  among  experienced 
hunters. 

A  few  days  after  I  purchased  the  rifle  the  grand 
move  of  the  army  against  Vicksburg  commenced. 
Several  gunboats  and  transports  had  already  run  the 
blockade  of  the  formidable  batteries  that  commanded 
the  river.  It  was  on  the  25th  day  of  April,  1863, 
at  six  o'clock  A.  M.,  that  the  2d  Brigade  of  General 
Logan's  Division,  to  which  I  belonged,  moved  from 
Milliken's  Bend.  That  night  the  division  bivouacked 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  243 

at  Richmond,  and  the  following  night  at  Smith's  plan- 
tation. 

A  heavy  rain  set  in  at  the  commencement  of  the 
march,  which  filled  the  ground  and  water-courses  full 
of  water,  which  made  the  roads  across  those  rich  allu- 
vial bottoms  extremely  soft,  and  easily  cut  up  by  the 
artillery  and  supply  wagons.  From  Smith's  planta- 
tion to  Perkins'  plantation,  eight  miles  below  New 
Carthage,  was  only  fifteen  miles,  but  it  took  us  two 
days  to  make  the  march.  That  march  was  really  a 
"  tug  of  war."  The  horses  and  mules  floundered  in 
the  mud.  At  times  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty, 
after  doubling  the  teams,  that  the  artillery  and  wag- 
ons w^ere  extricated  from  those  miry  depths.  The 
men,  however,  kept  up  an  indomitable  good-will  and 
courage,  which  carried  us  through.  It  was  nine 
o'clock  P.  M.  when  we  halted  for  the  night,  and  at 
twelve  o'clock  the  same  night  we  started  for  Hard- 
Times  Landing,  situated  a  short  distance  above  Grand 
Gulf,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  march 
was  made  by  way  of  Lake  St.  Joseph,  and  it  was  four 
o'clock  P.  M.,  of  the  29th,  when  we  reached  Hard- 
Times  Landing. 

On  the  1st  of  May  we  crossed  the  river  to  Bru- 
insburg.  It  was  on  that  day  that  General  Oster- 
haus'  division  and  two  brigades  of  General  Logan's 
division  captured  Port  Gibson.  From  that  time  un- 
til the  12th  of  May,  the  troops  were  engaged  in  fol- 
lowing up  the  enemy  and  harassing  him.  Our  gen- 
eral course  of  march  was  to  the  northeast,  toward 
Jackson. 


244  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

On  the  12th,  General  Logan's  division  being  in  the 
advance,  when  within  ten  miles  of  Raymond,  the 
enemy,  about  five  thousand  strong,  including  two  bat- 
teries of  artillery,  under  command  of  General 
Gregg,  was  found  advantageously  posted,  with  the  ar- 
tillery so  arranged  as  to  sweep  the  road  and  a  bridge 
that  it  was  necessary  to  pass. 

The  division  was  formed  in  line  preparatory  to  an 
attack,  with  the  2d  Brigade,  commanded  by  Brigadier- 
General  Dennis,  on  the  left,  occupying  both  sides  of 
the  road  ;  the  1st  Brigade,  commanded  by  Brigadier- 
General  John  E.  Smith,  in  the  centre,  on  the  right  of 
the  2d  Brigade  ;  and  the  3d  Brigade,  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  J.  D.  Stephenson,  on  the  right, 
and  the  8th  Michigan  Battery,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain De  Golyer,  in  the  road  near  the  bridge. 

As  soon  as  the  troops  were  in  position,  an  advance 
was  commenced,  and  the  battle  opened  with  great 
energy.  The  roar  of  musketry  was  tremendous.  On 
the  left  of  the  1st  Brigade  and  the  right  of  the  2d 
Brigade  the  contest  was  dreadful.  The  line  had  ad- 
vanced to  the  ditch  in  which  ran  a  little  stream 
crossed  by  the  bridge.  On  the  side  of  the  ditch  next 
to  the  enemy  was  a  dense  growth  of  underbrush  • 
behind  that  brush,  not  fifty  yards  distant,  were  the 
enemy.  So  heavily  did  the  enemy  press  the  left  of 
the  1st  Brigade,  composed  of  the  23d  Indiana  and 
the  20th  Illinois,  that  they  were  compelled  to  give 
back,  but  immediately  rallied,  supported  by  the  81st 
Illinois.  The  giving  back  of  the  left  of  the  1st  Brig- 
ade enabled  the  enemy  to  occupy  a  portion  of  the  ditch, 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  245 

and  exposed  the  20th  Ohio,  occupying  the  right  of 
the  2d  Brigade,  to  a  most  galling  fire  in  its  flank. 
At  one  time  the  regiment  was  nearly  surrounded,  but 
it  gallantly  held  its  ground,  in  spite  of  the  terrible 
fire  to  which  it  was  exposed,  and  not  a  man  of  the 
regiment  fell  back. 

The  23d  Indiana  and  20th  Illinois  now  made  a 
dashing  charge,  and  drove  the  enemy  from  the  ground 
that  they  had  lost.  It  was  while  gallantly  leading 
his  men  on  to  victory  that  the  brave  Lieutenant- Col- 
onel Richards,  of  the  20th  Illinois,  was  killed.  An 
attempt  was  made  by  the  enemy  to  charge  and  cap- 
ture the  battery,  but  they  were  met  by  such  a  terri- 
ble fire  of  grape  and  cannister,  that  they  broke  and 
fled  from  the  field.  Our  troops  immediately  com- 
menced a  pursuit,  and  by  five  o'clock  P.  M.  were  in 
possession  of  Raymond. 

The  determined  obstinacy  with  which  the  20th 
Ohio,  under  the  gallant  Colonel  Force,  held  its 
ground,  added  much  to  the  brilliany  of  the  victory. 
Our  loss  was  69  killed,  341  wounded,  and  30  miss- 
ing. The  enemy's  was  103  killed,  and  720  wounded 
and  prisoners,  2  cannon  disabled,  besides  the  loss  of 
a  quantity  of  small-arms. 

In  the  morning  of  the  12th,  after  the  column  had 
commenced  its  line  of  march,  General  Logan  sent 
me  out  to  the  right  of  the  column,  to  ascertain 
whether  a  rebel  force  was  coming  up  from  below  to 
intercept  our  line  of  march. 

After  riding  out  about  three  miles,  I  saw,  in  the 
distance,  a  single  horseman  approaching.  As  I 


246  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

neared  him,  it  proved  to  be  a  Mississippi  planter, 
well  advanced  in  years,  armed  with  a  Mississippi 
Yager,  or  rifle. 

"Whar  be  you  gwine?"  he  asked,  as  we  met. 

"I'm  gwine  out  to  jine  our  forces  and  fight  the 
Yankees  to-day,"  I  replied. 

"  So  am  I.  I'm  jist  gwine  to  turn  up  sixteen  Yan- 
kee moccasins  with  this  yer  piece  o'  mine." 

"  If  I  can  kill  six  o'  them  thar  Lincoln  hirelings, 
I'll  be  satisfied." 

"  Well,  I'm  gwine  to  kill  sixteen,  now  sure." 

"  Well,  take  care  that  they  don't  git  you.  Is  any  of 
our  forces  out  on  this  yer  road  ?" 

"  No.  I've  jist  come  eight  miles  without  seeing 
any.  They  left  for  Raymond  last  night,  an'  they  are 
jist  a  gwine  to  kill  the  whole  Lincoln  army." 

"We  had  better  go  this  way,  then,"  said  I,  turning 
back  the  way  I  had  come. 

"  I  reckon  we  had,"  said  the  Mississippian. 

As  we  rode  along,  he  kept  up  his  boasting  of  how 
many  Yanks  he  was  gwine  to  turn  up,  little  dream- 
ing whom  he  was  addressing.  Fortunately  for  me, 
the  road  on  which  the  column  was  moving  passed 
through  a  piece  of  woodland,  so  as  to  hide  all  move- 
ments of  troops.  When  we  came  to  it,  the  rear- 
guard of  the  17th  Corps  had  passed  along  out  of 
sight,  and  the  advance  of  the  corps  next  in  line  of 
inarch  had  not  come  up.  '  As  we  turned  into  the 
right,  where  our  troops  had  been  passing,  I  caught 
sight  of  two  Federal  soldiers,  sitting  by  the  roadside, 
who  had  fallen  back  from  their  commands.  Drop- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  247 

ping  a  little  ,to  the  rear,  I  drew  my  revolver,  and 
motioned  to  the  soldiers  to  help  me.  I  was  a  little 
afraid  the  old  fellow  would  give  me  battle  as  soon  as 
he  discovered  his  mistake,  and  I  wanted  to  make 
sure  of  him.  The  soldiers  comprehended  my  mean- 
ing, and  instantly  levelled  their  pieces  at  him,  which, 
discovering,  he  halted,  and  inquired,  "Is  them  thar 
our  forces  ?" 

"Never  mind  whose  forces  they  are,"  said  I,  pre- 
senting my  revolver  :  "  you  go  right  along." 

"I  thought  it  was  our  forces,"  said  the  old  man, 
quite  crestfallen  at  his  discovery." 

"  Come  in  there,  old  fellow!  come  in!"  shouted  the 
two  soldiers. 

"Kide  along,  daddy,  or  those  Yanks  will  bore  you 
in  a  minute,"  said  I. 

He  took  my  advice  and  rode  up  to  the  soldiers, 
where  I  made  him  turn  his  horse  over  to  one  of  them 
and  his  rifle  to  the  other,  and  then  marched  him  on, 
at  a  rapid  pace,  to  overtake  the  command. 

We  came  in  sight  of  our  lines  just  as  the  first  fire- 
ing  commenced  in  action  at  Eaymond.  As  the  mus- 
ket reports  became  frequent,  the  old  man's  courage 
failed  him,  and  he  began  to  quiver  and  grow  pale  ; 
and  when  the  action  became  general,  and  the  messen- 
gers of  death  came  thick  around  us,  his  limbs  could 
scarce  support  him,  and  he  exclaimed  : 

"My  God!  is  that  a  fight?  Won't  we  all  be 
killed  ?" 

'•  Oh  no,"  says  I,  "we  haven't  begun  to  fight  yet ; 
when  we  get  to  fighting  you'll  see  something." 


248  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"0,  if  I  can  only  get  out  of  this  ycr  scrape,  I'll  go 
home  and  behave  myself !  My  God !  I  will." 

I  turned  the  old  man  in  with  the  first  squad  of 
prisoners  that  came  back  to  the  rear.  I  presume  he 
often  thinks  of  his  attempt  to  turn  up  sixteen  Yankee 
moccasins ! 

On  the  13th  we  resumed  our  march  for  Jackson, 
by  way  of  Clinton.  On  the  14th,  about  five  miles 
from  Jackson,  the  enemy's  pickets  were  encountered, 
and  driven  back  to  within  two  and  a  half  miles  of 
the  city.  The  enemy  was  under  command  of  Gen- 
eral W.  H.  T.  Walker,  and  occupied  the  top  of  a 
gradually  ascending  rise  of  ground,  with  a  large 
open  space  in  his  front.  Many  of  General  Walker's 
troops  were  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  regiments, 
and  had  only  arrived  there  from  the  east  the  night 
before. 

Preparations  were  now  made  to  give  the  enemy 
battle.  General  Sherman's  corps  had  arrived  at  the 
same  time,  on  another  road,  to  the  right.  General 
Logan's  division  was  placed  in  reserve.  The  7th  Di- 
vision of  McPherson's  corps,  commanded  by  Briga- 
dier-General Crocker,  and  part  of  General  Sherman's 
corps,  were  formed  in  close  column,  by  division,  to 
charge  upon  the  enemy.  In  our  having  to  cross  the 
open  field,  in  full  view,  the  enemy  had  a  decided  ad- 
vantage over  us.  When  everything  was  ready,  the 
command  was  given  to  charge  on  a  double-quick,  and 
the  columns  moved  forward. 

It  was  a  sight  that  I  shall  never  forget,  when 
those  thousands  of  brave  boys,  in  perfect  order,  swept 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  249 

across  that  field !  The  rustle  of  garments,  and  the 
flapping  of  scabbards,  cartridge-boxes,  and  canteens, 
to  the  tread  of  double-quick  from  that  large  body  of 
soldiers,  moving  in  close  column,  was  like  the  roar 
of  the  tornado  when  it  sweeps  across  the  plain. 

Opposed  to  them  was  a  long  line  of  rebellion's 
choicest  troops,  pouring  into  them  volley  after  volley 
of  leaden  hail.  Still,  on  they  went,  without  a  waver. 
It  was  a  terrible  spectacle,  and  awfully  grand.  Min- 
gled with  the  roar  of  the  enemy's  musketry  was  the 
crash  of  artillery  from  both  sides. 

The  charge  swept  on.  Still  the  enemy  held  his 
ground,  as  if  determined  to  withstand  the  charge,  and 
a  dreadful  encounter  seemed  imminent.  A  line  of 
fence  in  front  of  the  enemy  was  reached,  and  it  van- 
ished like  chaff  in  the  wind  before  those  solid  columns 
of  Western  braves.  With  the  crash  of  that  fence 
went  the  enemy's  lines,  and  the  pride  of  South  Caro- 
lina fled  in  dismay,  followed  by  the  veterans  from 
Georgia,  that  had  been  stationed  as  reserves.  Then 
went  up  such  shouts  of  victory  as  can  only  be  pro- 
duced from  Western  lungs.  Volley  after  volley  was 
fired  at  their  retreating  ranks,  and  pursuit  kept  up 
until  they  were  driven  beyond  the  cit}r.  In  five  hours 
from  the  time  the  action  commenced,  the  stars  and 
stripes  were  proudly  floating  over  the  capitol  of  the 
State  of  Mississippi. 

Our  loss  was  very  light  compared  with  that  of  the 
enemy — much  lighter  than  it  would  have  been,  if  the 
enemy  had  not  overshot  us  while  crossing  the  open 
field.  For  the  casualties  of  the  battle,  the  reader  is 


250  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

referred  to  the  official  reports  of  the  commanding 
generals. 

As  the  troops  were  going  into  Jackson,  I  asked 
General  Grant  if  he  had  any  objection  to  my  taking 
a  look  through  Jackson  for  my  field-glasses. 

"lean  only  instruct  you,"  said  the  general,  "to 
take  such  things  as  are  warranted  by  the  rules  of 
war." 

The  city  had  been  so  completely  ransacked  by  the 
soldiers  before  I  got  in,  that  I  failed  to  get  pay  for 
my  glasses. 

On  the  15th  of  May  we  marched  west,  toward 
Yicksburg,  and  on  the  16th  the  enemy  was  found 
in  large  force  at  Champion  Hills,  under  command  of 
Lieutenant-General  Pemberton.  He  had  moved  his 
army  out  from  Yicksburg  to  attack  us.  The  position 
selected  by  the  enemy  was  a  strong  one,  on  the  sum- 
mit of  an  elevation,  or  ridge  of  ground,  with  a  line 
something  like  a  crescent,  the  right  and  left  of  the 
line  further  advanced  than  the  centre.  The  face  of 
the  hill,  in  front  of  the  enemy,  was  an  open  field, 
thereby  exposing  our  lines  to  view  as  we  advanced  to 
the  attack.  The  enemy's  lines  were  in  the  skirts  of  a 
piece  of  woods  that  extended  to  his  rear. 

Early  in  the  day  the  battle  commenced,  opening 
on  our  left,  and  extending  gradually  along  to  our 
right,  until  the  whole  line  was  engaged,  when  it  raged 
Avith  intense  fury.  General  Hovey's  division  on  our 
left,  from  the  much  stronger  position  occupied  by  the 
enemy  in  its  front,  suffered  terribly  ;  but  timely  sup- 
port arrived,  and  the  enemy  was  driven  back.  An 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  251 

attempt  was  then  made  to  crush  our  centre,  but  in 
vain.  Support  having  arrived  to  the  assistance  of  the 
centre,  a  dashing  charge  was  made  and  the  cnernv 
routed. 

It  was  a  desperate  and  hard-fought  battle,  with  u 
heavy  loss  on  both  sides,  but  that  of  the  enemy  was 
much  the  heaviest.  Here,  again,  I. must  refer  the 
reader  to  the  official  reports  for  the  casualties.  It  will 
not  be  amiss,  perhaps,  to  give  the  reader  some  of  my 
personal  experience  in  that  battle. 

When  the  action  commenced,  I  was  instructed  by 
General  Logan  to  keep  to  the  right  of  each  brigade- 
of  his  division,  as  they  successively  arrived  in  posr- 
tion  and  became  engaged,  and  to  watch  closely  for 
any  attempt  at  flank  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy.  My  first  position  was  with  the  line  of  skir- 
mishers of  the  2d  Brigade.  About  the  time  our 
skirmishing  commenced,  a  rebel  courier  was  seen, 
dashing  along  in  a  line  nearly  parallel  to  the  line  of. 
skirmishers  from  the  right,  and  about  one  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  the  line.  When  up  with  and  iir 
front  of  the  line,  he  discovered  us  and  wheeled  to  the 
right,  and  was  dashing  away  at  right  angles  with  our 
line,  when  six  of  us  brought  our  pieces  to  bear  on 
him  and  fired.  He  fell  from  his  horse,  with  one  foot 
fastened  in  the  stirrup.  At  that  instant,  the  horse 
gave  a  leap  over  a  log,  and  the  dangling  body  struck 
the  log  and  bounded  into  the  air  higher  than  the 
horse's  back,  and  then  struck  the  ground  with  a 
"thug"  sufficient,  to  all  appearances,  to  have  crushed 
every  bone  in  his  body. 


252  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

A  few  minutes  later,  I  saw  a  rebel  major  leading 
his  regiment  forward  to  charge  upon  one  of  our  bat- 
teries. He  was  not  more  than  fifty  yards  distant. 
In  an  instant  I  brought  my  "repeater"  to  my  face, 
and  while  I  was  looking  at  the  prominent  point  of 
his  right  cheek-bone,  a  ball  took  him  in  the  exact 
spot  that  I  was  looking  at,  and  he  tumbled  from  his 
horse. 

I  now  discovered  that,  instead  of  a  regiment,  a 
whole  brigade  was  coining,  and  that  our  skirmishers 
had  fallen  back,  and  that  I  was  in  range  between 
McAllister's  battery  and  the  rebs.  I  started  on  a  run, 
and  fairly  flew  as  I  went ;  but  before  I  could  get  out 
of  range,  the  battery  opened  on  the  rebs  with  double 
charges  of  grape  and  canister,  which  came  howling 
and  tearing  the  ground  all  about  me.  How  I  escaped 
instant  death  is  a  wonder  to  me.  I  succeeded  in  get- 
ting out  of  the  way  before  another  round  was  fired, 
quite  satisfied  with  my  experience  there. 

I  then  moved  round  much  further  to  the  right,  and 
took  with  me  a  corporal  of  the  20th  Ohio,  by  the 
name  of  William  Grinnell,  whom  I  found  engaged  in 
sharp-shooting.  After  reconnoitring  a  little,  we  dis- 
covered a  rebel  battery  of  eight  guns,  that  kept  up  a 
harassing  fire  upon  our  lines.  We  succeeded  in 
sheltering  ourselves  from  view,  in  close  rifle-range  of 
the  guns,  behind  a  large  clump  of  bushes,  and  then 
commenced  paying  our  respects  to  the  gunners.  Wo 
were  doing  excellent  execution,  and  had  fired  ten  or 
twelve  shots  apiece,  when  the  enemy  returned  our 
compliments  with  a  double  charge  of  can- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  253 

ister  that  mowed  the  bushes  all  about  as.  The  charge 
made  such  a  terrible  whizzing  and  howling,  and  came 
so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  that  I  involuntarily 
dropped  to  the  ground. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Bunker?"  called  out  the  cor- 
poral. 

•'  No  ;  are  you?" 

"  No  ;  but  if  we  had  stood  anywhere  else  we  should 
both  have  been  killed." 

The  ground  was  literally  ploughed  up  all  about  us. 

A  few  minutes  later,  the  8th  Illinois  and  32d 
Ohio  made  a  charge  on  the  battery  to  capture  it.  As 
the  line  advanced,  there  became  a  strife  between  the 
two  regiments  which  should  reach  it  first  and  take 
possession.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  32d  Ohio 
had  been  smarting  under  the  false  accusation  of 
"Harper's  Ferry  cowards,"  and  had  longed  for  an 
opportunity  of  retrieving  their  reputation. 

"  Come  on,  boys  ;  we  are  '  Harper's  Ferry  cow- 
ards!'" shouted  a  captain;  and  the  words  were  in- 
stantly repeated  by  the  whole  regiment,  and  with  a 
dash  they  outstripped  their  Illinois  rivals.  As  they 
raised  the  hill  near  the  battery,  a  round  of  canister 
was  fired  at  them,  but,  fortunately,  it  was  aimed  too 
high  to  do  much  injury,  The  rebs  then  broke  and 
ran,  leaving  six  of  their  guns  to  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  32d  Ohio.  Major-General  Logan  complimented 
the  regiment  highly  for  its  gallantry,  and  allowed 
Company  F  to  retain  the  guns  and  serve  them. 
That  company  was  originally  recruited  as  an  artillery 
company. 


254  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

On  the  ITth  of  May  we  resumed  our  march,  and 
on  the  18th  we  crossed  Black  Eiver,  and  on  the  19th 
our  lines  extended  around  Vicksburg,  from  the  river 
above  to  the  river  below,  occupying  a  line  of  about 
seven  miles  in  length. 

Major-General  Sherman's  corps  occupied  the  right, 
Major-General  McPherson's  the  centre,  and  Major- 
General  M'Clernand's  the  left.  Then  began  the  siege 
of  Y  icksburg. 

Up  to  the  commencement  of  the  siege,  the  troops 
had  marched  over  two  hundred  miles  and  taken 
part  in  five  distinct  battles,  and  accomplished  it  in 
twenty-five  days  ;  and  a  large  portion  of  that  time 
they  had  been  without  rations,  except  such  as  they 
foraged  from  the  country. 


SCOUT   AND   8PY.  255 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

First  sharp-shooting  at  Vicksburg — Silences  two  guns—  The  rifle-pit 
—Shoots  a  Carolinian— The  Carolinian's  comrade— Outehoots  a 
squad  of  sixteen — The  defiant  rebel — Shoots  for  General  McPherson 
and  General  Logan— Beats  the  Parrot  rifles— Joke  on  the  Adjutant- 
General — Visit  to  Admiral  Porter — The  French  spy — The  disclosures — 
Capture  of  a  rebel  dispatch— The  fate  of  the  spy. 

I  SHALL  not  attempt  to  give  the  reader  a  detailed 
history  of  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  but  shall  confine 
myself  to  incidents  in  my  OAvn  experience  during 
the  siege. 

The  country  lying  about  the  city  of  Vicksburg  is 
of  a  peculiar  formation — very  hilly  and  ex- 
tremely broken.  It  consists  of  threads,  or  narrow 
ridges,  with  deep  ravines  between,  running  in  every 
direction,  with  spurs  or  smaller  ridges  putting  out 
from  them. 

The  lines  occupied  by  the  two  contending  armies 
were  a  succession  of  those  ridges,  with  a  general 
course  nearly  parallel,  but  at  unequal  distances 
apart,  forming  an  irregular  circuit  about  the  city 
from  the  river  above  to  the  river  below. 

The  next  day  after  the  regiment  to  which  I  be- 
long moved  into  its  position  at  the  rear  of  Vicks- 
burg, two  pieces  of  the  enemy's  artillery  opened  a 
very  annoying  fire  upon  it  with  shell.  The  men 


256  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

were  under  the  necessity  of  lying  flat  on  the  ground, 
behind  the  ridge,  for  protection,  and  even  then  were 
in  great  danger  from  the  explosion  of  the  shells.  I 
went  to  Colonel  Force  and  asked  him  if  I  might  go  and 
try  my  hand  at  silencing  the  guns  with  my  rifle. 

He  said,  ' '  Yes  ;  but  you  must  be  very  careful,  for 
the  shells  are  coming  very  low.  " 

I  started  out,  and  made  my  way  along  under 
cover  of  the  ridge  on  which  we  lay,  until  I  came  to 
one  of  the  spurs  mentioned,  that  approached  much 
nearer  to  the  enemy's  works  than  did  the  ridge  oc- 
cupied by  the  regiment.  From  that  I  succeeded  in 
getting  a  good  view  of  the  guns  that  were  shelling  us. 
In  front  of  me  was  a  dry  oak  log,  and  underneath  it 
I  dug  out  a  hole  that  enabled  me  to  shoot  under  it, 
and  the  log  prevented  the  enemy  from  seeing  me. 

As  soon  as  I  had  become  fixed  in  my  position,  I 
commenced  to  pick  off  the  gunners.  I  succeeded 
so  well  that  only  two  shells  were  fired  after  I  took 
my  position.  Several  ineffectual  attempts  were 
made  to  load  the  guns,  but  the  moment  a  gunner 
stepped  up  to  fill  the  place  of  his  fallen  comrade  he 
was  picked  off,  and  finally  the  guns  were  aban- 
doned, and  the  bodies  of  those  that  had  fallen  left 
where  they  fell. 

My  success  seemed  incredible.  To  put  it  beyond 
a  doubt,  I  concluded  to  go  back  and  get  some  officer 
to  come  and  see  what  had  been  accomplished.  I  went 
back  to  the  regiment,  where  I  found  Colonel  Force. 
I  said  to  him,  "Colonel,  I  have  silenced  those  two 
guns  that  were  shelling  us." 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  257 

"  I  see  they  haven't  fired  much  since  you  left." 

"  How  many  did  they  fire  after  I  went  away?'' 

"  Only  two  or  three,  I  believe." 

•'  Well,  now,  Colonel,  for  my  credit,  please  to  go 
over  with  me  where  I  have  been  at  work,  and  see 
what  I  have  been  doing." 

"Really,  I  don't  know  as  I  ought  to  leave  here  a 
moment,  but  I  want  to  learn  the  lay  of  the  ground, 
and  I  don't  care  if  I  go." 

He  followed  along  behind  me  to  where  I  had 
been  at  work,  and  then  commenced  looking  with  his 
field-glasses. 

"See  there!  see — see — see  that  man  leading  that 
horse  yonder !  Do  you  see  him  ?"  said  he. 

"Yes." 

"Well,  try  him  a  pull." 

"Don't  get  me  excited,  Colonel,  but  watch  the 
man." 

"  Crack !"  went  my  rifle. 

"I  declare!"  said  the  Colonel,  "that's — that's  a 
valuable  piece  !  Excuse  me,  I  must  go  back." 

Rifle-trenches  were  immediately  dug  on  the  ridges 
of  ground  nearest  the  enemy's  works,  and  in  them 
were  stationed  sharp-shooters,  who  kept  up  a  con- 
stant fire,  night  and  day,  which  answered  as  a  cover 
for  our  fatigue  parties  engaged  in  digging  approaches 
to  his  works,  and  also  prevented  him  from  doing  much 
execution  with  his  artillery.  Our  artillery  was  not 
idle,  but  kept  up  a  fire  from  some  part  of  the  line  at 
all  hours  of  the  day  and  night. 

A  few  days  after  the  siege  was  fairly  in  operation, 


258  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

General  Logan  asked  me  to  go  out,  at  night,  to  an 
elevated  spot  of  ground  between  our  rifle-trenches 
and  the  enemy's,  on  which  stood  a  large  stump,  and 
dig  myself  a  pit  behind  the  stump,  and  see  if  I  could 
pick  off  some  of  the  rebel  sharp-shooters. 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark  I  took  a  spade  and  a  can- 
teen of  water  and  went  over.  The  spot  was  not  more 
than  fifty  yards  from  the  enemy's  trenches.  During 
the  night,  I  dug  myself  a  pit  large  enough  so  that  I 
could  squat  down  in  it.  When  daylight  came,  I 
found  that  I  had  an  excellent  view  of  the  enemy's 
trenches,  without  being  seen  myself.  I  worked  out  a 
little  hole  underneath  one  of  the  roots  of  the  stump, 
and  through  that  I  did  my  shooting.  Toward  the 
middle  of  the  day  the  sun  shone  down  excessively 
hot,  and  I  had  nothing  to  shade  me  from  its  burning 
rays.  My  pit  was  not  large  enough  for  comfort,  and, 
besides,  I  had  neglected  to  take  any  rations  with  me. 
My  supply  of  water  also  gave  out,  and  by  noon  my 
position  seemed  almost  unbearable.  To  leave  it  in 
daylight  would  be  certain  death.  I  bore  my  situation 
as  well  as  I  could,  and  improved  it  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage. During  the  day  I  had  several  fair  shots, 
which  I  improved,  and  did  good  execution. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  rebel  sharp- 
shooter (whom,  from  his  dress,  I  took  to  be  a  Caro- 
linian), undertook  to  crawl  up  to  the  top  of  their 
earthworks,  behind  a  stump  that  hid  him  from  the 
view  of  our  sharp-shooters,  that  he  might  be  enabled 
to  get  a  shot  at  them.  He  crawled  along,  with  his 
gun  in  his  right  hand,  till  near  the  spot,  and  then  took 


GENERAL     BUNKER 


.///  hisleyifafcvato 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  259 

off  his  big-brimmed  hat  and  turned  his  head  up 
sideways  to  look  around  the  side  of  the  stump  at  our 
sharp-shooters.  My  position  to  him  was  such  that  I 
could  see  every  movement  that  he  made.  He  evi- 
dently did  not  know  where  I  was.  While  his  head 
was  turned  up  my  gun  cracked,  and  his  feet  flew 
straight  behind  him. 

A  comrade  of  his  then  undertook  to  crawl  up  and 
drag  him  away.  When  he  was  about  ready  to  grasp 
the  dead  man  by  the  legs,  my  gun  again  cracked,  and 
he  rolled  over  on  his  back  near  his  comrade.  Both 
of  them  remained  there  until  dark,  without  any  at- 
tempt being  made  to  remove  them. 

As  soon  as  it -was  dark  I  made  my  way  back  to 
my  quarters,  well  satisfied  with  my  experience  in  an 
advanced  rifle-pit. 

Not  many  days  after  the  foregoing  incident,  I  was 
passing  along  the  intrenchments,  when  I  found  a 
squad  of  sixteen  men,  part  of  them  of  the  23d  Indi- 
ana Regiment,  and  the  rest  from  the  45th  Illinois, 
engaged  in  sharp-shooting.  They  saw  me  passing 
with  my  rifle,  and,  having  heard  of  its  long  range  and 
accuracy,  called  me,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  have 
me  try  it  on  a  fellow  that  they  had  been  shooting  at 
for  about  two  hours,  but  without  success. 

The  fellow  that  they  had  been  shooting  at  was  en- 
gaged in  digging  a  rifle-pit  in  advance  of  the  enemy's 
intrenchments,  and  while  digging  he  was  exposed  to 
view. 

I  asked  the  boys  what  distance  they  had  been 
.shooting,  and  they  informed  me  that  they  had  been 


260  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

trying  him  at  a  range  of  nine  hundred  yards,  and  had 
succeeded  in  hitting  the  dirt  about  him.  I  raised 
the  sight  of  my  rifle  to  nine  hundred  yards,  and  then 
requested  the  squad  to  cease  firing  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  let  the  smoke  clear  away,  and  then  to  watcli 
where  my  ball  struck.  As  soon  as  the  atmosphere 
was  clear  of  smoke,  and  everything  quiet,  I  levelled 
my  piece  and  fired. 

"You've  hit  him!  you've  hit  him?"  exclaimed 
several. 

The  fellow  straightened  up,  whirled  about,  as  if 
angry,  and  then  flung  his  shovel  from  him  as  far  as 
he  could,  and  then  sat  down.  In  about  a  minute 
after  he  began  gradually  to  throw  up  his  hands,  and 
then  fell  over  backward  on  the  ground,  evidently 
dead,  where  he  remained,  as  he  had  fallen,  during  the 
rest  of  the  day.  The  next  morning  his  body  had 
been  removed. 

On  another  occasion,  two  companies  of  the  20th 
Ohio  were  engaged  at  digging  in  the  approaches  to 
the  rebel  Fort  Hill,  and  were  subjected  to  a  very  an- 
noying fire  from  a  squad  of  about  fifteen  rebel  sharp- 
shooters, stationed  in  a  ditch,  not  accessible,  at  that 
time,  to  our  artillery. 

I  was  sent  for,  and  requested  to  bring  my  rifle  and 
see  if  I  could  silence  them.  A  place  had  been  fixed 
for  me  near  where  the  companies  were  at  work,  con- 
siderably in  advance  of  any  other  sharp-shooter.  I 
worked  a  long  time  at  them,  during  which  time  I  did 
good  service.  After  awhile  there  was  but  one  to  be 
seen  ;  the  rest  had  either  been  disabled  or  so  badly 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  261 

frightened  as  to  have  laid  down  in  the  bottom  of  the 
ditch  for  safety.  I  kept  up  a  fire  at  the  single  indi- 
vidual for  some  time.  My  balls  would  strike  the 
ground  close  to  him,  and  then  he  would  swing  his  hat 
in  defiance  or  return  my  shot.  Twice  he  put  his 
balls  within  an  inch  of  my  head  ;  once  a  sliver  from 
the  timber  under  which  I  shot  was  knocked  off  and 
struck  me  on  the  head,  hurting  me  considerably. 
Another  ball  hit  a  bayonet  that  I  had  placed  in  the 
dirt  to  rest  my  rifle  upon,  and,  glancing  upward, 
passed  through  my  hat,  taking  off  a  portion  of  my 
hair,  just  missing  my  head. 

A  lieutenant  came  along,  and  I  told  him  what  I 
had  been  doing.  He  got  upon  the  earth- works  where 
I  was,  and,  seeing  the  defiant  rebel,  asked  me  to 
let  him  try  his  hand  at  him.  He  fired  several  shots, 
but  with  no  better  success. 

By  that  time  it  was  nearly  night,  and  I  had  fired 
at  the  squad  forty-eight  shots,  so  I  concluded  to  give 
up  the  shooting  of  the  defiant  man  as  a  bad  job. 

The  next  day  the  ditch  was  unoccupied  ;  the  ex- 
perience of  the  day  before  had  evidently  satisfied 
them. 

On  another  occasion,  while  I  was  engaged  in  sharp- 
shooting,  General  McPherson  and  General  Logan 
came  into  the  fortifications,  and  were  watching  a 
party  of  ten  or  twelve  rebels  engaged  in  digging 
a  ditch.  They  called  me,  and  General  McPherson 
said : 

"Bunker,  can  you  shoot  into  that  ditch  yonder, 
where  those  men  are  at  work?  They  have  been 


262  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

shooting  at  them  with  the  Parrot  rifle  cannon  and 
haven't  thrown  a  shot  in  there  yet." 

"Yes,  I  think  I  can." 

"Well,  try  it." 

I  raised  my  sight  to  one  thousand  yards,  and 
fired  at  the  ditch. 

"There!"  said  McPherson,  looking  through  his 
glasses,  "  you've  hit  one  of  them !" 

" They  are  carrying  out  one!"  said  Logan,  look- 
ing with  his  glasses. 

"  Try  it  again,"  said  McPherson. 

I  did  try.  I  fired  two  more  shots  into  the  ditch, 
and  the  whole  squad  ran  out  and  left  it. 

A  few  days  afterward,  I  chanced  to  meet  General 
McPherson,  who  asked  me  how  my  ammunition 
held  out.  I  told  him  that  it  was  nearly  all  gone. 

"Well,  Bunker,"  said  he,  "come  over  to  my  tent 
day  after  to-morrow,  and  I  will  try  to  have  some 
on  hand  for  you.  I  think  that  I  can  keep  you  sup- 
plied. " 

In  the  evening  of  the  day  agreed  upon,  I  went 
over  to  General  McPherson's  tent.  He  was  absent ; 
but  Colonel  Clark,  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  was 
there,  who,  as  soon  as  I  entered,  inquired  of  me 
what  I  wanted. 

"  I  want  to  see  General  McPherson." 

"What  do  you  want  'of  General  McPherson  ?" 

"I  want  to  see  him  about  some  ammunition." 

"What  kind  of  ammunition  do  you  want?" 

"  Cartridges  for  one  of  Henry's  repeating  rifles.  " 

"Well,  this  a'n't    the  place  to   get   ammunition. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  263 

Go  to  the  ordnance  officer,  and  see  if  you  can't  get 
it  of  him." 

I  did  as  I  was  directed,  but  found  no  cartridges. 
I  returned  to  the  tent,  and  said  to  him,  "General, 
that  officer  did  n't  have  any  cartridges." 

I  started  for  my  quarters  and  before  I  had  got  out 
of  sight  General  McPherson  entered,  and  some  one 
told  him  that  there  was  a  man  just  in  to  see  him,  and 
that  he  had  stepped  out.  The  General  came  out  and 
called  me  back. 

"Well,  Bunker,"  said  he,  "I  haven't  got  those 
cartridges  yet ;  but  you  go  over  to  General  Grant's 
headquarters,  and  tell  his  Chief-of-Staff  that  I  sent 
you  over  to  get  some  cartridges  for  your  rifle.  He 
has  got  a  rifle  of  that  kind,  and  I  presume  that  he 
has  got  some  cartridges." 

In  the  morning,  early,  I  went  over  to  General 
Grant's  headquarters,  and  I  told  him  that  General 
McPherson  had  sent  me  there  to  get  some  ammunition 
for  my  rifle  from  his  Chief-of-Staff.  He  told  me  that 
his  Chief-of-Staff  had  gone  to  St.  Louis,  and  had 
taken  his  rifle  with  him. 

"Do  you  know  of  anybody  that  has  got  any  of 
that  kind  of  cartridge  ?"  I  inquired. 

"I  think,"  said  the  General,  "that  Admiral 
Porter  has  got  ammunition  of  that  kind,  and  I  will 
give  you  a  request  to  carry  to  him,  and  you  may  go 
and  see  him  about  it. 

He  wrote  a  note  for  me  to  hand  to  Admiral  Porter, 
and  commenced  to  write  me  a  pass,  but  was  inter- 
rupted by  some  business,  so  he  handed  me  the  note, 


264  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

and  told  me  to   step   over  to    the    Provost-marshal 
and  ask  him  to  write  me  a  pass. 

I  did  so;  but,  being  a  stranger  to  the  Provost- 
marshal,  he  did  not  know  that  I  was  a  soldier,  and 
the  pass  that  I  received  read  as  follows : 


"  HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  TENNESSEE,   ) 
"  REAR  OP  VICKSBURG,  Miss. ,  June  — ,  1863.          f 
"Lorain    Ruggles,    a    citizen    of    the    South,   has    leave    to   visit 
Admiral  Porter's  flag-ship  and  return  with  a  gun. 

"JAMES  WILSON,  " Prvcont-martJial" 

I  took  my  rifle  and  went  to  Chickasaw  Landing,  on 
the  Yazoo  river,  where  I  succeeded  in  getting  on  board 
the  steamer  Diligent,  a  dispatch-boat,  as  she  went 
down  to  the  gunboats  with  dispatches.  The  flag- 
ship, at  that  time,  lay  in  the  Mississippi  River,  a 
short  distance  above  Yicksburg. 

I  found  the  Admiral,  and  handed  him  the  note 
from  General  Grant,  which  he  read ;  and  then, 
giving  me  a  searching  look  from  head  to  foot,  he  said: 

""Well,  Mr.  Scout,  you  want  some  ammunition 
for  your  rifle ;  but  I  don't  keep  any  such  trifling 
guns  about  me,  and  consequently  I  have  got  none 
of  that  kind  of  ammunition." 

'•Look  'e  here,  Mr.  Admiral,"  said  I;  "that  gun 
a'n't  so  small  a  trifle  as  you  imagine.  I  can  kill  a 
reb.  with  it  at  a  distance  of  nine  hundred  yards,  and 
I  can  outshoot  the  Parrot  rifles ! " 

"Ah,  you  can't  commence  with  my  guns!  They 
are  better  than  that.  Orderly,  go  down  and  bring 
up  one  of  my  favorites." 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  265 

The  orderly  soon  returned  with  a  beautiful  Spencer 
rifle.  "There,"  said  the  Admiral,  handing  me  the 
gun ;  "how  do  you  like  the  looks  of  that?" 

I  took  it  and  examined  it  carefully  all  over.  It 
was  a  seven-shooter,  with  a  bayonet,  and  every  part  of 
it  most  beautifully  finished.  It  suited  me  to  a  charm. 

"Well,  inasmuch  as  I  have  got  no  cartridges  for 
my  gun,  how  wTill  you  trade  guns  with  me  ? " 

"  I  can't  part  with  it ;  you  might  as  well  try  to  get 
my  ship  as  that  gun !  " 

He  then  told  me  that  if  General  Grant  wanted 
me  to  have  one,  he  would  get  one  like  it  for  me. 

I  told  him  that  I  could  not  carry  two  guns,  and  that 
I  did  not  want  one  unless  I  could  exchange  mine. 
He  promised,  however,  to  make  an  effort  to  get  me 
some  cartridges.  By  this  time  the  dispatch-boat 
was  ready  to  return,  and  I  went  back  to  Chickasaw 
Landing. 

On  my  arrival  at  the  landing,  I  met  a  little 
Frenchman,  whom  I  had  frequently  seen  in  Mem- 
phis, and  at  the  camps  about  there,  and  I  had  for 
some  time  suspected  that  he  was  a  Confederate  spy. 

I  first  saw  him  in  the  camps  of  the  20th,  78th, 
and  68th  Ohio,  and  the  23d  Indiana  regiments,  en- 
gaged in  buying  Confederate  money  of  the  soldiers. 
At  that  time  he  wore  very  long  hair,  and  was 
dressed  like  a  citizen ;  but  on  this  occasion  his  hair 
was  cut  short,  and  he  was  dressed  like  a  clerk  about 
some  headquarters. 

I  saw  him  several  times  at  Memphis,  while  1  was 
under  the  assumed  character  of  a  rebel  major.  He 


266  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

had  never  seen  me  in  any  other  dress  than   that  of 
a  citizen. 

I  expressed  delight  at  meeting  him,  shook  hands 
with  him,  and  inquired  about  his  health,  etc. 

"Who are  you  to  work  for  now ? "  he  inquired. 
'For  General  Johnston.'7 

"Are  you?    So  am  I!" 

"  What  news  have  you  got  ?" 

"  Nothing  new.     Have  you  any  news  ?" 

"No,  not  at  present.  Come,  let  us  go  over  to  the 
steamer  Arago  and  get  something  to  drink  before  we 
separate.  There  is  an  old  friend  of  ours  that  is  com- 
missary clerk  aboard  of  her.  He  used  to  live  in 
Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  and,  when  we  were  in  Memphis 
last  winter,  he  was  there  engaged  in  buying  mules 
and  smuggling  them  through  the  Yankee  lines  to  sell. 
Let  us  go  over  and  see  him. 

The  Frenchman  accompanied  me  on  board  the 
steamboat,  and  there  we  found  the  clerk  I  had  told 
him  about,  who  took  us  to  the  bar  and  got  us  some- 
thing to  drink.  He  also  induced  the  barkeeper  to 
sell  me  a  canteen  of  whiskey,  as  a  favor  to  a  special 
friend. 

Having  procured  the  whiskey,  I  prevailed  upon 
the  Frenchman  to  accompany  me,  and  we  went  up 
the  bank  of  the  river  to  a  secluded  place,  where  we 
sat  down  to  enjoy  ourselves. 

My  companion  seemed  to  relish  the  whiskey  much 
better  than  I  did,  and  its  effects  soon  made  him  very 
communicative,  so  that  I  was  enabled  to  draw  out  a 
great  deal  of  information  concerning  his  business  as  a 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  267 

spy.  He  told  me  that  he  was  engaged  in  getting  dis- 
patches through  the  Federal  lines  at  Yicksburg  to 
Generals  Johnston  and  Pemberton. 

During  his  visits  to  the  Federal  camps  at  Mem- 
phis, to  purchase  Confederate  money,  he  had  noted 
down  the  names  of  the  officers  in  the  different  regi- 
ments, and  the  companies  to  which  they  belonged. 

With  that  knowledge,  whenever  he  wanted  to  get 
from  Chickasaw  Landing  into  our  lines,  he  would  go 
to  the  Provost-marshal  and  represent  himself  as  be- 
longing to  captain  such-a-one's  company,  in  such  a 
regiment,  on  detached  service,  and  get  a  pass  to 
visit  his  regiment,  and  with  it  he  could  pass  our 
lines. 

The  dispatches  of  General  Johnston  were  brought 
across  the  country,  by  cavalry,  to  a  point  on  the  Ya- 
zoo  Eiver  about  Haines'  Bluff.  There  the  spy  re- 
ceived them,  and  crossed  over  to  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  then  came  down  the  river  opposite  to 
Snyder's  Bluff ;  there  he  would  manage  to  cross  at 
night  in  a  canoe,  and  land  inside  of  our  lines  without 
being  seen.  There  he  would  get  on  board  a  dispatch 
boat  and  come  down  to  Chickasaw  Landing,  and 
would  procure  a  pass,  as  I  have  explained.  From 
there  he  would  go  to  Mr.  Smith's,  who  lived  between 
the  picket  lines  at  the  landing  and  the  troops  at  the 
rear  of  Yicksburg. 

He  would  give  the  dispatches  to  Mr.  Smith's  daugh- 
ter, and  she  would  give  them  to  a  servant  of  hers,  a 
smart,  intelligent  colored  boy,  rather  small  of  his  age, 
who  would  carry  them  to  the  river  above  Yicksburg. 


268  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

He  described  to  me  the  route  the  colored  boy  would 
take  to  get  to  the  river. 

At  the  river  the  colored  boy  would  give  them  to  a 
fisherman,  who  staid  there,  and  was  engaged  in  catch- 
ing fish  and  selling  them  to  the  gunboatmen  and  the 
soldiers.  The  fisherman  had  lost  a  hand  while  in  the 
rebel  army,  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  had  been  dis- 
charged. 

He  had  represented  to  Admiral  Porter  that  he  had 
belonged  to  the  Federal  army,  and  had  been  wound- 
ed, as  before  stated,  and  discharged,  and  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  permission  from  him  to  fish  in  the 
river,  and  visit  his  lines  at  all  hours  of  the  night. 
He  had  managed  to  make  himself  a  favorite  at  the 
picket-post  near  the  river,  and  his  frequent  visits 
to  his  lines  near  the  post,  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
and  night,  had  ceased  to  excite  any  suspicion  what- 
ever. 

The  fisherman  would  take  the  dispatches,  and  at 
night,  while  visiting  his  lines,  pass  the  pickets,  and 
carry  them  to  the  rebel  pickets,  and  then  return. 

In  the  same  channel  General  ^  Pemberton's  dis- 
patches went  out.  How  long  communication  had 
been  kept  up  in  that  way  I  did  not  learn. 

After  having  drank  the  most  of  the  whiskey,  we 
returned  to  the  landing  and  separated.  I  went  to  the 
Provost-marshal  and  told  him  that  there  was  one  of 
General  Johnston's  spies  there,  and  requested  him  to 
send  some  guards  and  arrest  him. 

u  Are  you  a  soldier?"  he  inquired. 

"Yes." 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  269 

"Where  did  you  come  from?" 

"Admiral  Porter's  flag-ship." 

"  Have  you  got  a  pass  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Let  me  see  it." 

I  handed  it  to  him,  and  he  commenced  reading, 
"Lorain  Ruggles,  a  citizen  of  the  South" — he  turned 
around  and  exclaimed,  "What  business  have  you 
here  ?  You  ain't  any  better  than  the  rest  of  them !" 

I  went  out  and  found  that  the  Frenchman  was  just 
stepping  on  board  the  dispatch-boat  Diligent,  and  in 
a  moment  more  the  boat  was  under  way  for  Snyder's 
Bluff. 

I  reported  to  General  Grant  the  information  that  I 
had  received,  and  then  asked  him  if  I  might  furlough 
the  spy  wherever  I  found  him.  He  told  me  to  do 
with  him  just  as  I  thought  proper,  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  I  should  be  protected  by  the  military 
authorities. 

In  two  days  after,  the  colored  boy  was  captured, 
and  a  dispatch  from  General  Johnston  found  on  his 
person.  About  the  same  time  the  fishing  arrange- 
ment at  the  river  was  broken  up.  I  can  also  assure 
the  reader  that  the  little  Frenchman,  though  never 
arrested,  will  never  buy  any  more  Confederate  money 
nor  carry  any  more  rebel  dispatches. 


270  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Sent  for  by  General  Grant— Instructions— Crosses  Black  River— Is  cap- 
tured by  rebel  cavalry — Sent  to  General  DeVieu — The  interview — 
Passes  as  Johnston's  spy — The  attempt  to  escape — The  Pursuit — Fired 
at  by  Federal  pickets— Again  fired  at  by  the  enemy— The  pursuers 
driven  back — Again  firecl  at  by  Federal  pickets — The  alarm — Reports 
to  General  Osterhaus — Reports  to  General  Grant. 

WHILE  the  siege  was  progressing,  General  John- 
ston was  engaged  in  concentrating  a  large  Confederate 
force  to  attack  General  Grant  in  the  rear,  and  force 
him  to  raise  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  thereby  re- 
lieve General  Pemberton  and  his  forces. 

General  Grant,  in  the  mean  time,  had  been  consid- 
erably re-enforced,  and  had  formed  a  line  of  defence 
from  the  Black  River  Bridge  northwest  along  Clear 
and  Bear  Creeks,  across  to  the  Yazoo  River  at 
Haines'  Bluff,  and  a  heavy  force  was  stationed  along 
that  line  to  resist  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy  to  raise  the  siege. 

The  difficulty  of  rapidly  crossing  Black  River  with 
a  large  force  below  the  bridge,  rendered  it  necessary 
to  keep  a  force  stationed  on  the  line  running  from  the 
bridge  to  the  Mississippi  River  below  Yicksburg  ;  for 
the  enemy,  once  across,  would  run  a  very  poor 
chance  of  recrossing  without  destruction.  A  constant 
watch  was  kept  up  by  our  scouts,  however,  to  see 
whether  the  enemy  would  attempt  to  cross  there. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  271 

Some  time  toward  the  latter  part  of  June,  General 
Grant  sent  for  me,  and  requested  me  to  make  a  trip 
across  Black  River,  and  find  out  whether  the  enemy 
was  making  any  attempt  or  movement  indicative  of 
crossing. 

I  was  instructed  to  cross  at  the  bridge,  through  Gen- 
eral Osterhaus'  lines,  and  take  the  road  to  Fifteen- 
mile  Creek,  and,  if  I  met  with  nothing  to  prevent,  to 
go  on  to  the  creek  and  remain  there  two  days,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  return.  If  I  discovered  any 
movement  of  importance  while  on  my  way,  I  was  to 
report  it  immediately. 

The  general  cautioned  me  not  to  go  inside  of  the 
enemy's  lines,  because  it  was  a  critical  time,  and  if  I 
did  I  would  probably  lose  my  life.  He  told  me  that 
several  scouts  had  been  sent  out  for  the  same  purpose, 
and  that  none  of  them  agreed  in  their  reports.  He 
told  me  that  he  was  extremely  anxious  to  know  what 
the  enemy  was  doing  there,  and  what  were  his  inten- 
tions, and  charged  me  to  be  very  cautious,  so  that  I 
might  return. 

I  was  handed  an  order  to  General  Osterhaus,  to 
the  effect  that  I  was  to  be  passed  out  of  his  lines,  and 
when  I  returned  I  was  to  be  immediately  sent  to 
General  Osterhaus,  under  guard,  and  whatever  I  re- 
ported to  him  was  to  be  immediately  telegraphed  to 
General  Grant. 

I  carried  the  order  to  General  Osterhaus,  at  Black 
River,  who,  when  he  had  read  it,  sent  me,  under 
guard,  to  the  picket  line,  with  instructions  to  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  pickets  to  pass  me 


272  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

out.  The  picket  line  was  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river. 

As  I  left  the  river,  I  was  very  particular  to  notice 
minutely  the  roads  and  fences,  and  the  features  of  the 
ground.  About  a  mile  from  the  bridge,  on  the  road 
that  leads  to  Edwards'  Station,  the  Fifteen-mile  Creek 
road  turns  off  to  the  right.  At  the  corners  of  the 
road  the  reserve  pickets  were  stationed.  About  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  reserve,  the  road  turns 
square  to  the  left,  and,  at  a  distance  of  about  one 
hundred  yards  further  on,  it  turns  back  again  square 
to  the  right.  At  that  point  the  vedettes  were  sta- 
tioned. On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  road,  going  out 
from  the  reserve  to  the  vedettes,  was  a  hedge  fence. 
From  the  vedettes,  in  a  straight  line  across  to  the  re- 
serve, was  an  open  field,  and  the  fence  had  been  torn 
down  or  removed  to  allow  the  cavalry  a  chance  to 
charge  across  it,  if  necessary. 

Before  leaving  the  pickets,  I  told  the  lieutenant  in 
command  of  the  guards  that  I  should  not  come  back 
that  night,  unless  I  was  driven  back,  and  that  if  I 
came  back  I  should  come  on  the  run,  and  that  I  would 
have  no  gun  in  my  hands,  nor  anything  else  that 
might  be  taken  for  one.  I  also  requested  him  to  de- 
scribe to  each  man  in  person,  as  he  took  his  post  as 
vedette,  my  dress,  so  that  there  could  be  no  mistake 
about  who  I  was,  and  no  cause  for  firing  into  me. 
The  lieutenant  instructed  his  men  as  I  requested  him  ; 
and  besides,  I  found  that  several  of  them  knew  me, 
which  very  much  relieved  my  fears  about  being  fired 
at.  I  was  on  foot  and  dressed  like  a  citizen. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  273 

Supposing  that  I  had  made  all  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements for  my  safety  in  case  I  was  driven  back, 
I  started  out.  About  half  a  mile  from  the  vedettes, 
the  road  crossed  a  low  piece  of  ground,  and  had  been 
filled  in  with  brush  and  rails,  while  wet,  to  keep 
wagons  from  miring,  but  the  dry  weather  had  dried 
up  the  mud  and  left  the  rails  and  brush  bare,  render- 
ing it  extremely  difficult  to  cross  without  making  a 
great  deal  of  noise. 

I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  after  crossing  it, 
when  I  heard  a  cracking  of  brush  behind  me,  and 
turned  to  see  what  it  was.  The  reader  can  judge  my 
surprise  when  I  saw  in  the  road  behind  me,  fourteen 
rebel  cavalry.  I  was  ordered  to  halt,  which  I  did, 
and  they,  at  the  same  time,  dismounted. 

There  I  was,  captured  almost  within  sight  of  our 
own  pickets.  It  was  no  time  to  show  timidity,  so  I 
resolved  upon  a  bold  expedient. 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  said  one  of  the  cavalrymen. 

"  I  am  a  Confederate  soldier." 

"  Where  do  you  belong?" 

' '  When  I  am  at  my  proper  command  I  belong  to 
Price's  headquarters." 

"Have  you  got  a  pass?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?" 

"  Gentlemen,  you  are  soldiers  I  presume?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  What  is  your  duty  when  you  capture  a  man  in 
my  fix?"  Another  one  spoke  up  and  said  :  "  Some- 
times we  take  him  out  and  hang  him." 

12* 


274  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

"  Shut  your  mouth,"  said  I,  "  I  wasn't  talking  to 
you." 

"  Ha,"  says  he,  ."you're  mighty  stiff." 

Says  I,  "  Have  you  a  commissioned  officer  in  this 
squadron  ?" 

"  Yes,  I'm  the  lieutenant." 

"Well,  then,  detail  two  men  out  of  your  ranks, 
and  send  me  to  your  headquarters,  if  you've  got  any." 

They  tried  to  draw  me  into  conversation.  Said  I, 
"  What  are  your  instructions  ?" 

"Why,  to  take  you  to  headquarters." 

"Well,  then,  do  it,"  said  I. 

They  said  no  more,  but  took  me  to  headquarters. 

I  watched  narrowly  every  feature  of  the  road  and 
the  country  as  we  went,  determined,  if  possible,  to 
make  my  way  back  that  night.  Not  a  word  was  ex- 
changed between  us  on  the  way. 

About  five  miles  from  where  I  was  captured,  and 
nearly  seven  miles  from  Black  River  bridge,  we 
came  to  General  DeYicu's  headquarters.  They 
were  situated  near  the  crossing  of  the  roads,  where 
the  road  from  Baldwin's  Ferry  (below  Black  River 
bridge)  to  Edwards'  Station  crosses  the  one  that  I 
was  on. 

When  we  arrived  at  General  DeVieu's  quarters, 
one  of  the  guards  went  in,  and  I  heard  him  say  to 
the  general,  "  We  have  got  a  man  out  there  that  we 
captured  close  to  the  Yankee  lines,  without  a  pass, 
and  he  says  that  he  is  a  Confederate  soldier.  We 
could  not  find  out  his  business,  but  he  told  us  to 
bring  him  to  you,  and  we  have  done  so." 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  275 

"Well,  have  him  come  in,"  said  the  General. 

The  guard  came  out,  and  told  me  to  go  in.  As  I 
entered,  I  took  off  my  hat,  and,  saluting  him,  I 
looked  him  in  the  face  with  as  much  composure  as 
though  I  had  been  his  commanding  officer. 

"Where  have  you  been?"  he  inquired. 

"I  have  been  inside  of  the  Yankee  lines  about 
Vicksburg." 

"  Where  do   you  belong? " 

"  I  belong  to  General  Price's  army." 

"  What  were  you  doing  here  ? " 

"I  am  now  under  orders  from  General  Johnston 
to  reconnoitre  thoroughly  about  the  Yankee  lines  at 
Vicksburg.  I  have  done  so,  and  I  am  now  on  my 
way  to  report  to  General  Johnston." 

"Have  you  got  any  pass,  or  any  papers  to  that 
effect?" 

"No,  sir,  I  haven't  got  the  scratch  of  a  pen 
about  me  ;  but,  General,  if  you  will  go  with  me  to 
General  Johnston's  adjutant-general  I  can  show  you 
papers  in  his  office  that  will  tell  you  who  I  am 
and  what  my  business  is." 

"  What  is  your  name  ? " 

"Lorain  Euggles,  sir  ;  I  am  a  brother  to  General 
Ruggles."  ' 

"  Ah !    A  brother  of  General  Euggles ! " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  what  is  the  news  about  Vicksburg?" 

' '  General,  if  you  insist  upon  it,  [  shall  have  to 
tell  you,  because  you  are  my  superior  officer,  but  my 
instructions  from  General  Johnston  were  to  recon- 


276  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

noitre  thoroughly,  and  get  all  the  information  that  I 
could,  and  then  to  report  to  him,  and  to  him  only. 

"Ah!  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Buggies.  Excuse 
me  !  I  don't  want  you  to  violate  your  instructions. 
I  don't  wish  to  interfere  with  any  of  General  Johnston's 
arrangements.  Do  you  wish  to  go  right  on  to  General 
Johnston's  headquarters  ? " 

"General,  I  have  been  considerably  exposed,  and 
a  little  short  of  rations  for  several  days,  and  have 
travelled  about  on  foot  a  great  deal,  and  am  very 
much  fatigued  ;  and  if  it  would  be  agreeable  to  your 
good- will  and  pleasure,  I  would  be  happy  to  remain 
in  your  brigade  overnight,  and  then  go  out  to  General 
Johnston's  headquarters  to-morrow." 

"  Yery  well,  you  can  stay  ;  any  of  those  orderlies 
out  there  will  give  you  something  to  eat.  I  shall  send 
two  men  out  to  headquarters  in  the  morning,  and,  if 
you  like,  you  can  go  with  them." 

"  Thank  you,  General,  I  shall  be  very  glad  of  the 
company." 

It  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  I 
arrived  there.  The  orderlies  gave  me  some  dinner 
and  also  some  supper.  I  improved  my  time  in  con- 
versation with  the  officers  and  men,  in  picking  up  in- 
formation. 

The  force  stationed  there  was  a  brigade  of  Texas 
cavalry,  about  1,200  strong.  Their  business  was  to 
watch  the  Baldwin's  Ferry  road  for  any  attempt  of 
General  Grant's  forces  to  cross  and  get  to  the  rear  of 
General  Johnston. 

The  brigade  was  destitute  of  tents,  except  six  at 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  277 

headquarters,  and  the  men  slept  at  night  without 
shelter. 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I  laid  down  on 
a  pile  of  corn  in  the  husk,  in  company  with  a  lot  of 
soldiers,  and  feigned  to  be  asleep.  I  reflected  upon 
my  situation,  and  of  the  best  means  of  making  my 
escape.  I  was  satisfied  that  it  would  be  dangerous 
for  me  to  wait  till  morning  and  start  with  the  order- 
lies for  General  Johnston's  headquarters.  No  suspi- 
cion had  as  yet  been  excited.  The  soldiers  were  all 
asleep,  and  the  whole  camp  was  quiet.  About  mid- 
night I  got  up,  as  if  to  relieve  the  necessities  of  na- 
ture, and  went  to  a  piece  of  woods  about  a  hundred 
yards  distant,  and  returned.  My  movements  did  not 
seem  to  have  disturbed  any  one.  The  moon  shone 
brightly,  and  the  night  was  very  light.  The  moon 
had  not  yet  reached  its  meridian,  but  made  a  long 
shadow  on  the  ground.  I  again  laid  down  upon  the 
corn-pile,  where  I  lay  until  two  o'clock,  when  I  arose. 
The  moon  was  then  favorable  and  made  but  a  short 
shadow,  and  everything  was  quiet.  I  again  visited 
the  woods. 

As  I  entered,  I  looked  back  and  all  was  quiet.  As 
the  guards  brought  me  in,  I  had  noticed  that  there 
was  but  one  picket-post  in  the  direction  that  I  wished 
to  return,  and  that  one  was  stationed  in  the  road 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  rebel  camp.  I  resolved  to 
try  an  escape  at  all  hazards. 

I  made  a  detour  large  enough  to  insure  safety  from 
the  pickets,  moving  forward  as  rapidly  and  noiseless- 
ly as  possible  through  the  brush,  until  I  gained  the 


278  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

road  that  I  had  come  out  on,  and  then  I  sped  along 
as  fast  as  I  could  run. 

I  had  on  light  shoes,  and  made  very  little  noise  as 
I  went,  and  avoided  stepping  upon  anything  that 
would  make  any  disturbance. 

When  I  reached  the  place  in  the  road  filled  with 
rails  and  brush,  near  where  I  had  been  captured,  I 
slackened  my  pace  and  walked  carefully  across  it.  I 
had  become  tired  from  running  so  far  ;  my  close  prox- 
imity to  our  own  pickets  considerably  relieved  my 
fears,  and  I  moved  along  more  leisurely  than  I  had 
done. 

When  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  bad  place 
in  the  road,  I  was  startled  by  the  sound  of  horses 
crossing  it.  I  looked  back,  and  saw  that  I  was  pur- 
sued by  a  squad  of  twelve  or  fourteen  cavalry. 

I  dashed  ahead  at  the  top  of  my  speed,  and  when 
within  about  one  hundred  yards  of  the  vedette-post, 
"Bang!"  went  the  carbines  of  my  pursuers.  The 
vedettes  ran  for  the  reserve.  I  fairly  flew  along, 
and  the  rcbs  after  me,  gaming  rapidly.  I  kept 
straight  after  the  vedettes  till  I  had  entered  the  field 
past  the  hedge  fence  ;  then  I  turned  and  followed  it 
a  few  steps,  and  then  plunged  through  it  and  crawled 
along  on  my  hands  and  knees  some  distance  in  the 
weeds  and  grass  by  the  side  of  it. 

My  pursuers  dashed  on  across  the  field,  firing  at 
the  vedettes  as  they  went.  The  reserve  was  imme- 
diately  in  saddle,  and  returned  the  fire  of  the  enemy. 
The  chase  now  turned  the  other  way,  and  the  rebs 
were  pursued  by  our  pickets. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  279 

I  kept  on  making  a  detour  around  to  the  rear  of 
the  reserve  post  before  coming  up,  lest,  from  the  con- 
fusion and  excitement,  I  should  again  be  fired  at. 
Nearly  all  the  reserve  had  joined  in  the  chase,  and 
but  four  men  remained  on  the  post. 

As  I  came  up  to  the  rear  of  them,  without  any 
challenge  to  halt,  one  of  them  fired  at  me. 

"  Don't  shoot !  It  is  Bunker!"  said  the  others.  By 
this  time  they  were  convinced  who  it  was,  and  al- 
lowed me  to  come  up. 

The  alarm  did  not  stop  with  the  pickets,  but  ex- 
tended across  the  river.  An  entire  brigade  turned 
out  under  arms,  and  orders  were  dispatched  all  along 
the  lines  to  be  in  readiness  to  repel  an  attack  from 
General  Johnston. 

I  requested  to  be  immediately  sent  to  General  Os- 
terhaus,  under  guard,  agreeable  to  General  Grant's 
instructions ;  but  the  lieutenant  refused  to  let  me  go 
until  daylight,  and  then  sent  me  in  without  guard. 

I  reported  to  General  Osterhaus,  and  explained  to 
him  where  the  rebel  force  was  camped,  and  also  its 
strength,  and  what  it  was  there  for. 

"Tare  you  stshay  they  are  ?  On  the  Baldwin's 
Ferry  road  ?"  inquired  the  General. 

"No;  they  are  on  the  Fifteen-mile  Creek  road, 
near  the  crossing  of  the  Edwards'  Station  and  Bald- 
win's Ferry  road." 

"Yell,  dat  ish  vot  I  stshay!  On  the  Baldwin's 
Ferry  road !" 

I  then  marked  out  the  position  for  him,  and  ex- 
plained it,  and  still  he  insisted  : 


280  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"Veil,  clat  ish  vot  I  stshay!  On  the  Baldwin's 
Ferry  road !" 

He  then  telegraphed  to  General  Grant  as  he  un- 
derstood it,  and  received,  in  reply,  orders  for  me  to 
return  immediately. 

I  reported  in  person  to  General  Grant,  and  told 
him  the  difficulty  that  I  experienced  in  making 
General  Osterhaus  understand  me.  He  replied,  "  I 
thought  he  did  not  understand  you,  so  I  ordered  you 
back." 

After  explaining  to  the  General  the  position, 
strength,  and  object  of  the  enemy,  he  asked  me  if  I 
was  sure  of  that  fact.  I  told  him  that  I  was,  and  that 
time  would  show  whether  I  told  him  the  truth  or  not. 
He  then  said  that  he  would  rest  satisfied ;  so  I  re- 
turned to  my  quarters.  The  confidence  he  placed  in 
my  reports  amply  paid  me  for  the  danger  that  I  had 
encountered.  General  Grant  always  paid  his  scouts 
well  whenever  they  had  done  anything  deserving  of 
special  compensation.  To  pay  me  for  this  trip,  soon 
after  the  Vicksburg  campaign  ended,  General  Grant 
gave  me  two  hundred  dollars  and  a  furlough  for  thirty 
days. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  281 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Visit  to  Chickasaw  Landing— Surrender  of  Vicksburg— Visit  to  the  city— 
The  paroled  Major — The  Yankee  trick — Returns  to  Vicksburg — Made  de- 
tective—Is sent  to  Yazoo  City— Attends  a  guerrilla  organization— Makes 
them  a  speech — Returns  to  Vicksburg. 

Ox  the  3d  day  of  July,  I  again  went  to  General 
Grant  to  see  if  he  had  found  out  where  I  could  get 
some  cartridges  for  my  rifle.  He  told  me  that  the 
Paymaster-General  (I  have  forgotten  his  name,)  had 
a  rifle  of  the  same  kind  and  some  cartridges,  and 
that  he  made  his  headquarters  on  board  the  steamer 
J.  D.  Perry,  at  Chickasaw  Landing. 

The  general  gave  me  a  line  to  the  paymaster,  and 
I  went  over  to  the  landing.  When  I  arrived  there, 
the  steamers  had  nearly  all  gone  down  to  Young's 
Point,  and  with  them  the  J.  D.  Perry.  It  was  near- 
ly night,  and  too  late  to  return  to  camp,  so  I  remained 
there  all  night  with  a  sergeant  from  my  own  regi- 
ment, who  was  on  detached  duty  there,  in  charge  of 
the  camp  and  garrison  equipage  belonging  to  the  divi- 
sion. 

When  I  arose  on  the  morning  of  July  4th,  I  found 
that  all  the  steamers  had  left.  A  few  hours  later,  the 
dispatch-boat  Diligent  came  up,  and  brought  the  news 
that  Yicksburg  had  surrendered. 

That  accounted  for  the  absence  of  the  steamers. 


282  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

A  flag  of  truce  had  been  sent  into  our  lines  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  3d,  before  I  left,  but  I  had  not  heard 
that  it  was  to  arrange  for  the  surrender  of  the 
place. 

When  the  dispatch-boat  returned,  I  went  on  it  to 
Yicksburg.  There  the  whole  fleet  of  transports  and 
gunboats,  including  the  Marine  Brigade,  was  moored, 
decorated  with  all  their  streamers  and  colors,  and 
from  the  court-house  dome  proudly  floated  the  glorious 
emblem  of  our  country.  It  was  a  grand  and  sublime 
spectacle.  The  levee  and  streets  of  the  city  were 
thronged  with  thousands  of  weather  and  war  worn 
heroes,  that  had  heroically  suffered  and  fought  for  the 
capture  of  the  place. 

It  was  a  proud  day  for  them,  and  their  counte- 
nances beamed  with  such  expressions  of  satisfaction 
and  delight  as  only  heroes  can  wear. 

The  magnitude  of  their  victory  was  proportionate 
to  the  day  on  which  it  was  achieved,  and  such  a  cele- 
bration of  our  national  anniversary  was  never  before 
had,  and  probably  never  will  be  again. 

The  sufferings  and  privations  and  hardships  of  long 
inarches,  and  exposures  and  hard-fought  battles  and  a 
long-continued  siege,  were  all  forgotten  in  the  reali- 
zation of  the  most  glorious  victory  that  had  ever 
crowned  the  arms  of  an  American  hero. 

Promiscuously  mingled  with  the  blue  uniforms  of 
the  Federal  soldiers  was  the  dirty  yellow  of  the  Con- 
federate prisoners,  and  their  filthy  appearance  and 
fear-worn  faces  were  in  striking  contrast  with  their 
elated  victors. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  283 

The  magnitude  of  the  victory  may  be  seen  in  the 
official  reports  of  the  war. 

Bunker's  First  Speech,  in  front  of  the  Court-house  in 
Vichsburg,  after  the  surrender,  July  Mil,  1864. 

The  troops,  overwhelmed  with  joy  at  the  surrender 
of  the  place,  were  wild  with  enthusiasm,  and  in  the 
midst  of  this  general  jubilee  they  said : 

"Bunker,  can't  you  give  us  your  ideas  of  the  sur- 
render in  a  speech  ?'' 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  and  springing  upon  a  box  began  as 
follows  : 

"  Soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  I  congratu- 
late you  upon  your  overwhelming  success.  Scarcely 
had  our  flag  floated  to  the  breeze  on  the  capitol  of  the- 
Mississippi,  when  we  sprang  to  the  call  of  our  noble 
commander,  rushed  upon  the  defiant  columns  of 
Champion  Hills,  driving  them  in  dismay  across  the  Big 
Black,  within  their  stronghold  at  Yicksburg.  There 
with  rifle-pit  and  battery,  there  with  trench  and 
mine,  by  night  and  by  day,  till  almost  overcome  with 
fatigue,  driven  to  despair,  on  this  memorable  day  of 
our  national  independence,  Vicksburg,  with  31,000 
lighting  men,  has  surrendered  to  the  invincibles  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee." 

Here  the  crowd  became  so  dense,  and  the  shouts 
drowning  the  voice  of  the  speaker,  the  speech  was 
brought  to  an  abrupt  close. 

I  found  the  Paymaster-General  at  Yicksburg,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  from  him  a  box  of  cartridges. 


284  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

Not  liking  to  remain  in  the  place  while  the  prisoners 
were  there,  lest  some  of  them  might,  at  some  future 
time,  recognize  me,  should  I  be  so  unfortunate  as  to 
get  captured,  I  told  General  Grant  how  I  felt  about 
it,  and  he  sent  me  to  my  regiment,  then  at  Black 
Elver,  to  stay  until  the  prisoners  were  sent  away. 

A  few  days  after  the  surrender,  the  prisoners  were 
all  paroled,  and  then  marched  through  our  lines  at 
Black  River.  While  they  were  passing  our  camp,  I 
kept  out  of  sight,  by  remaining  in  my  quarters.  The 
second  day  after  the  prisoners  commenced  to  pass  out 
on  parole,  and  the  brigade  had  halted  to  rest,  a  rebel 
major  came  along  and  dismounted,  and  sat  down  appa- 
rently to  rest,  holding  his  horse  by  the  halter.  It  was 
soon  evident,  from  his  numerous  inquiries,  that  rest 
was  not  so  much  his  object  as  contraband  information. 
His  horse  was  a  nice  one,  and  was  equipped  with  a 
fine  saddle  and  bridle,  and  across  his  saddle  was  a 
portmanteau. 

A  soldier  of  the  30th  Illinois  Regiment  came  to 
my  quarters,  and  requested  me  to  go  out  and  see  the 
major  and  converse  with  him.  He  also  told  me  that 
the  major  was  trying  to  get  information  from  the  sol- 
diers that  he  had  no  business  with,  and  that  if  I  would 
succeed  in  holding  his  attention,  the  boys  would  play 
some  kind  of  a  caper  upon  him  for  his  improper  in- 
quisitiveness. 

I  went  out,  and  found  him  engaged  in  trying  to 
find  out  the  strength  of  General  Grant's  army.  As 
I  came  up  I  squatted  right  down  in  front  of  him,  and 
commenced  to  ask  him  questions  about  how  he  liked 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  285 

the  siege,  etc. ;  then,  fixing  my  eyes  on  his,  I  gave 
him  a  severe  rebuke  for  participating  in  such  an  un- 
just cause,  and  tried  to  show  him  its  utter  hopeless- 
ness. I  then  spoke  of  the  blessings  of  peace,  pros- 
perity, and  happiness,  as  they  had  existed  under  our 
government  before  the  war,  and  then  contrasted  that 
state  of  affairs  with  the  existing  state  of  things  in  the 
rebellious  States,  and  concluded  by  telling  him  that 
any  man  who  had  been  guilty  of  raising  his  hand 
against  the  best  government  that  ever  existed,  ought 
to  be  satisfied  with  his  experience,  and  be  heartily 
ashamed  of  himself. 

As  I  began  to  talk,  the  soldiers  began  to  gather  in 
a  crowd  around  us.  I  suspected  that  some  of  them 
would  cut  the  halter-strap  and  lead  the  horse  off  into 
the  woods,  before  the  crowd  would  open  sufficiently 
for  the  major  to  see  which  way  it  went. 

Whenever  the  major  showed  any  inclination  to 
look  behind  him,  I  would  become  emphatic  in  my  ex- 
pressions and  gesticulations,  and  look  so  earnestly  at 
him  that  I  kept  his  attention  riveted  upon  me.  While 
I  was  talking  the  portmanteau  was  opened,  and  a 
beautiful  silver-mounted  ten-shooting  revolver  taken 
out  and  carried  off. 

When  I  had  finished,  the  crowd  dispersed,  and  the 
major  prepared  to  leave.  In  doing  so  he  discovered 
that  his  revolver  was  gone.  He  told  me  about  it. 
and  described  the  revolver,  and  said  that  it  must 
have  been  taken  while  I  had  been  talking  with 
him. 

He  went  to  Brigadier-General  Force,  commanding 


286  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

the  Brigade,  and  complained  that  while  he  was  rest- 
ing, somebody  stole  his  revolver. 

The  General  immediately  issued  an  order  requiring 
all  the  company  commanders  in  the  brigade  to  search 
the  men  of  their  commands  at  once  for  the  revolver, 
but  it  was  without'  success. 

The  Major  told  the  General  that  one  of  the  men 
standing  by  was  called  by  the  name  of  Bunker ;  con- 
sequently, I  was  sent  for. 

"  Do  you  know  who  got  this  man's  revolver?"  in- 
quired the  General  of  me,  as  I  went  in. 

"No,  sir.  I  did  not  sec  his  revolver,  and  did  not 
know  that  he  had  one  until  he  told  me  that  some  one 
had  stolen  it." 

'•  Do  you  know  what  regiment  the  man  belonged 
to  that  took  it?" 

•'No,  sir,  I  do  not!  But  I  did  think  that  the 
Major  was  asking  very  improper  questions  for  a  paroled 
prisoner  to  ask,  and  I  expected,  while  I  was  talking 
to  him,  that  the  boys  would  take  horse  and  all,  and  I 
think  he  may  feel  thankful  if  he  hasn't  lost  anything 
but  his  revolver  ! " 

"  That  will  do !  "  said  the  General ;  "you  can  go  to 
your  quarters,  Major,  I  don't  see  as  I  can  do  any 
thing  for  }'ou !  " 

When  the  prisoners  had  all  crossed  Black  Eiver, 
I  returned  to  Vicksburg.  On  my  return  I  chanced 
to  meet  Major-General  Logan,  who  wished  me  to 
engage  in  the  detective  business,  the  same  as  I  had 
done  at  Memphis.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  like  the 
business  and  did  not  understand  it,  and  that  I  did  not 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  287 

see  anything  brave  or  daring  in  it,  and  that  it  seemed 
like  rather  a  low  business.  He,  however,  insisted 
upon  my  taking  hold  of  it,  and  gave  me  an  order  to 
go  on  board  the  steamer  Swan  to  board,  so  that  I 
might  pass  as  a  citizen  without  being  suspicioncd. 

I  boarded  there  three  days,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  I  was  so  completely  disgusted  with  the  business 
that  I  could  not  do  anything  at  it,  even  if  I  had 
wanted  to.  I  then  went  to  General  Grant,  and  told 
him  what  General  Logan  had  set  me  at,  and  that  I 
did  not  like  it,  and  asked  him  if  he  had  a  trip  that 
he  wanted  made  into  the  Confederacy.  He  replied 
that  he  had  none  of  much  importance,  but  that  I 
might  make  a  trip  to  Yazoo  City,  if  I  was  a  mind  to, 
and  see  if  anything  was  going  on  there,  and  gather 
what  information  I  could. 

The  Federal  forces  had,  since  the  surrender  of  Vicks- 
burg,  already  taken  the  place,  and  captured  such  pub- 
lic stores  as  were  movable,  and  destroyed  the  rest 
and  vacated  it. 

I  made  the  trip  on  horseback,  dressed  like  a  citi- 
zen. The  route  was  rather  a  lonesome  one,  and 
nothing  occurred  of  interest  on  my  way  out.  On  my 
arrival  at  Yazoo  City,  I  found  everything  quiet,  and 
the  place  unoccupied  by  troops. 

I  then  crossed  the  Yazoo  River  to  the  west,  and 
visited  the  neighborhood  of  Silver  Creek,  at  a  point 
eighteen  miles  from  Yazoo  City.  There  I  learned 
that  a  band  of  guerrillas,  known  as  the  Silver  Creek 
Guerrillas,  were  to  have  a  meeting  the  next  day,  at 
a  log  church,  about  six  miles  distant  to  the  south- 


288  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

west,  to  reorganize  their  band,  so  as  to  make  them- 
selves more  efficient.  Thinking  that  I  might  learn 
something  of  them  that  might  be  of  service,  I  deter- 
mined to  attend  the  meeting. 

The  next  morning  I  started  in  the  direction  of  the 
church  alone,  but  had  gone  only  a  short  distance 
when  I  was  joined  by  six  citizens,  on  horseback,  go- 
ing to  the  same  place.  We  arrived  at  the  church 
about  ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  found  the  meeting  al- 
ready commenced.  I  walked  in  with  those  that  had 
accompanied  me  and  sat  down,  a  listener  to  their 
proceedings. 

Remarks  were  made  by  several  individuals,  and  I 
learned  by  them  that  the  band  had  become  disorgan- 
ized and  ineffective  by  the  slackness  of  the  members 
in  turning  out.  Many  of  them  had  failed  to  report 
for  duty  when  ordered,  and  some  of  them  had  never 
reported  at  all.  A  great  deal  was  said  about  what 
valuable  services  might  be  rendered  by  a  well-organ- 
ized band,  and  appeals  were  made  to  the  patriotism 
of  each  individual  present  "  to  stand  by  the  South  in 
the  hour  of  her  trial,  and  let  the  world  at  large 
know  that  the  people  of  the  South  were  determined 
in  their  purpose,  and  would  fight  for  her  liberties  until 
relieved  from  the  thraldom  of  a  Lincoln  tyranny." 

Each  man  present  was  invited  to  express  his  views 
on  the  matter,  and  I,  in  turn,  was  called  upon.  To 
kill  all  chances  of  suspicion  that  might  occur  from  my 
presence,  I  responded  to  the  invitation.  I  said  to 
them  that  I  was  a  stranger  to  all  of  them.  I  told 
them  that  I  belonged  to  Daniel's  guerrillas,  at  Somer- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  289 

ville,  Tennessee,  and  I  knew  from  experience  that  a 
well-organized  band  could  make  itself  of  great  ser- 
vice to  the  Government,  and  that  I  felt  it  was  the 
duty  of  every  individual  in  the  Confederacy  to  put 
forth  his  best  efforts,  without  regard  to  cost  or  sacri- 
fice, to  sustain  the  Government  and  establish  our  lib- 
erty. Our  band,  I  told  them,  intended  to  live  on  the 
Lincoln  army,  and  we  kept  close  to  it,  and  frequently 
got  inside  of  the  Yankee  lines  and  got  valuable  infor- 
mation ;  and  sometimes  we  captured  prisoners,  and 
horses,  and  mules,  and  we  calculated  not  only  to  do 
service  to  the  Government,  but  to  make  it  pay  us, 
and  I  hoped  that  the  people  of  that  neighborhood 
were  as  patriotic  as  they  were  in  mine. 

The  meeting  resulted  in  the  reorganization  of  the 
band,  with  eighty  members. 

It  has  often  been  reported  that  citizens  of  the  South 
who  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Federal 
Government,  were  subject  to  abuse  and  cruel  treat- 
ment by  guerrillas  and  soldiers  of  the  Confederate 
army ;  but  in  that  meeting  several  of  the  members 
said  that  they  had  taken  the  oath,  and  had  done  it 
because  compelled  to  do  it,  and  it  was  not  spoken  of 
as  an  offence  nor  regarded  as  an  obligation. 

I  had  hoped  that,  in  attending  the  meeting  I  would 
be  enabled  to  learn  of  some  intended  raid  or  cam- 
paign, but  none  was  spoken  of,  and  probably  none 
contemplated  by  the  band  at  that  time. 

About  one  o'clock  P.  M.  the  meeting  closed,  and  I 
resumed  my  way  back.     Two  days  after  I  arrived  at 
Vicksburg,  and  reported  to  General  Grant. 
13 


290  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Taken  sick  with  the  ague — Encounters  his  Satanic  Majesty — The  Devil 
afraid  of  General  Grant— Expedition  to  Bogue  Chitto  Creek— Captures 
a  rebel  Colonel — Enlists  as  a  veteran — Makes  a  speech  to  the  soldiers. 

FROM  the  time  that  I  finished  my  trip  to  Yazoo  City 
until  the  next  November  I  had  but  very  little  to  do, 
and  nothing  occurred  of  interest  in  my  experience  as 
a  scout.  About  this  time  I  was  taken  with  the  three- 
day  ague,  which  troubled  me  more  or  less  for  a  whole 
year,  At  times,  when  the  "  shakes"  would  leave  me 
and  the  fever  come  on,  I  would  have  dreams  or  vis- 
ions of  a  delirious  character.  I  usually  fancied  my- 
self engaged  in  some  fearful  and  desperate  encounter 
with  the  rebels.  My  fancies  were  audibly  uttered, 
and  to-day  are  as  distinctly  visible  to  my  mind  as 
though  they  were  realities  of  yesterday.  Indeed, 
they  seemed  like  actual  experience.  In  those  deli- 
rious hours,  officers  and  soldiers  would  visit  me,  to 
listen  to  my  utterances  of  what  was  passing  before  me. 

On  one  occasion,  I  fancied  that  I  died  and  went 
to  hell.  There  I  found,  in  one  corner  of  the  infernal 
regions,  an  inclosure  of  several  acres,  filled  with 
Federal  soldiers.  They  were  suffering  intensely  for 
want  of  sufficient  water.  A  small  rivulet  made  its 
way  down  a  little  hollow  across  the  inclosure,  but  the 
stream  was  so  small  that  its  supply  aggravated  rather 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  291 

than  diminished  the  thirst  of  the  soldiers.  Having 
placed  me  in  the  inclosure,  the  devil  started  back  to 
earth  after  more  soldiers.  After  a  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  locality,  I  concluded  that  I  could  relieve 
very  much  of  the  suffering  by  damming  up  the 
stream.  I  set  to  work  at  once  making  a  dam,  and, 
by  the  time  the  devil  made  his  appearance,  I  had 
succeeded  in  raising  the  water  to  a  depth  of  four 
feet 

•'Have  you  come  here  to  interfere  with  my  ar- 
rangements ?"  inquired  the  devil,  angry  at  what  I  had 
done. 

"  No,  sir  ;  but  I  thought  I  would  build  a  dam  here 
and  have  as  much  water  in  it  as  there  is  in  some 
parts  of  the  Mississippi." 

Whereupon  the  devil  picked  up  a  big  cannon  and 
punched  a  hole  through  it,  which  let  the  water  out. 
Just  then  a  twenty- two  inch  shell  came  into  the  in- 
closure, and  exploded  with  a  tremendous  crash,  com- 
pletely enveloping  us  with  the  smoke.  As  it  cleared 
away,  two  persons  were  seen  coming  through  the  re- 
gions of  space  directly  toward  the  inclosure.  The 
quick  eye  of  his  Satanic  Majesty  was  the  first  to 
catch  sight  of  them. 

"Who  are  these?"  he  inquired.  "Isn't  one  of 
them  General  Grant?" 

"  Yes,"  I  replied  ;  "that  man  in  citizen's  clothes  is 
General  Grant,  and  the  man  in  uniform  is  General 
McPherson." 

"I  believe  that  is  Grant,"  he  said,  after  a  more 
careful  look. 


292  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"Yes,  that's  Grant." 

"Then  I  must  light  out  of  this !"  and  away  he  went 
as  fast  as  possible. 

I  told  ray  dream  to  General  Grant.  He  has 
asked  me  several  times  since  if  I  had  had  any  more 
dreams. 

In  the  month  of  November,  General  McPherson 
made  a  demonstration  with  14,000  men  toward  Can- 
ton, Miss.,  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  rebs  while 
General  Sherman,  with  his  command,  was  moving 
from  Memphis  eastward  to  Chattanooga. 

At  Brownsville  we  came  upon  a  small  force  of  rebs, 
who  undertook  to  check  our  advance,  but  we  drove 
them  from  their  position.  The  next  day,  at  Bogue 
Chitto  Creek,  they  made  another  stand,  but  were 
again  driven  from  their  position.  General  John  A. 
Logan  then  sent  me  out  to  the  front  of  our  right  to 
watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  see  which 
way  they  went.  I  was  accompanied  by  a  scout  by 
the  name  of  James  E.  Bader.  About  a  mile  out  we 
left  our  horses  under  cover  of  the  woods,  and  then, 
by  ourselves,  we  ascended  a  rise  of  ground  that  en- 
abled us  to  see  the  course  the  enemy  had  taken. 
While  we  were  thus  engaged  in  watching,  we  saw  a 
man  leave  the  rebel  forces  and  ride  toward  a  house 
that  stood  near  by.  As  he  neared  us,  we  saw  that  he 
had  on  the  uniform  of  a  rebel  colonel.  He  unsad- 
dled the  horse  at  the  house  and  then  led  it  away  to 
the  stable,  and  then  returned  to  the  house.  We  then 
went  to  our  horses,  mounted,  and  rode  to  the  house, 
dismounted  and  went  in.  We  found  but  one  man  in 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  293 

the   house,  who  said,   "Good-morning!     You  gave 
the  Johnnies  a  good  fleecing  this  morning !" 

"Yes,7  said  I,  "we  fleeced  the  Johnnies.  But 
where  is  your  uniform  ?" 

-    "I  ha'n't  got  a  uniform,  boys.     I  am  no  secesh.     I 
have  always  been  a  good  Union  man." 

We  then  searched  the  house  for  the  saddle  and 
uniform,  which  we  found  hid  under  the  floor. 

"  What  uniform  is  this  ?"  said  I,  hauling  it  up  from 
its  hiding-place. 

"  It  belongs  to  one  of  the  boarders." 

"It's  my  opinion  that  the  boarder's  clothes  will 
just  fit  you.  Take  off  the  clothes  you  have  on  and 
put  on  these,  and  do  it  quick,  too." 

"  I  declare,  gentlemen,  that's  not  my  uniform." 

' '  No  matter ;  you  must  put  it  on  and  see  how  it 
fits." 

"  Jimmy-putt!"  said  Bader,  brandishing  his  revol- 
ver ;  "  put  this  uniform  on  in  a  hurry,  or  we'll  help 
you !" 

"No  more  excuses,"  said  I.  "It  a'n't  but  a  few 
minutes  since  we  saw  you  have  it  on." 

The  colonel  reluctantly  changed  his  former  dress 
for  the  uniform.  "There — your  military  clothes  lit 
well.  Now  go  with  us." 

Bader  saddled  the  horse  and  brought  it  to  the 
door,  when  we  made  him  mount  and  go  back  with  us 
to  General  Logan.  I  told  him  the  course  the  enemy 
had  taken,  and  how  we  had  captured  the  colonel. 

I  returned,  accompanied  by  my  partner,  to  the 
colonel's  house,  where  we  found  a  nice  flock  of  tur- 


294  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

keys.  Knowing  that  officers  were  fond  of  turkeys,  I 
called  a  dog  that  was  lying  in  the  yard  and  set  him 
to  work.  In  a  few  minutes  we  captured  six  nice 
ones,  which  we  carried  to  the  general. 

"  Here,  Colonel,"  said  Logan,  showing  the  turkeys 
to  the  prisoner,  "  you  shall  have  a  nice  supper  in  the 
Federal  fortress.  Boys,  have  you  got  any  for  your- 
selves ?" 

"No,  sir." 

'  Here,  take  these"  (handing  me  two  of  them). 

They  made  the  company  an  excellent  supper  ;  but 
whether  the  colonel  relished  his  own  turkeys,  and 
himself  a  prisoner,  I  am  not  so  sure.  The  next  day 
I  was  laid  up  with  the  ague,  and  was  not  able  to  scout 
any  more  during  that  expedition. 

In  the  month  of  December,  1863,  the  re-enlisting 
of  soldiers  as  veterans  commenced  in  my  regiment. 
I  at  once  re-enlisted,  and  set  about  using  my  influ- 
ence to  persuade  others  to  do  so.  This  I  did  gener- 
ally by  private  conversation.  Once  more  Bunker  was 
called  upon  to  make  a  speech,  of  which  the  following 
is  what  he  had  to  say  : 

li  Fellow-soldiers  and  comrades  in  arms  :  It  is  with 
feelings  of  pride  that  I  attempt  to  address  you — 
pride  because  it  is  not  often  that  an  occasion  offers  for 
one  to  address  a  body  of  men  whose  deeds  of  valor 
have  called  forth  such  praise  and  such  rejoicings  as 
yours  have  done.  Ay !  I  am  proud  that  I  have  been 
a  comrade  in  arms  with  you  in  such  struggles  as  Don- 
elson,  Shiloh,  Champion  Hills,  and  Yicksburg.  Such 
victories  attest  that  you  have  done  your  duty  well. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  295 

and  the  glory  is  yours.  Your  country  appreciates 
the  value  of  such  men,  and,  because  of  it,  she  now 
asks  that  you  and  I  stand  by  that  tattered  flag  for 
three  years  more.  We  know  how  it  came  by  those 
shreds,  and,  as  we  gaze  upon  it,  our  hearts  swell  big 
with  emotion  in  the  recollection  of  the  scenes  through 
which  we  have  passed.  It  is  our  blood  that  has  spat- 
tered it,  and  our  arms  that  have  borne  it  and  won  for 
it  glory.  You  know,  by  experience,  the  lot  of  the 
soldier.  Your  faces  arc  bronzed  in  the  service,  and 
many  of  you  bear  scars  from  the  battles  that  you've 
fought,  mementoes  of  which  your  children  and  chil- 
dren's children  will  be  proud  to  speak  when  you  are 
(aid  away  in  the  hero's  grave. 

' '  Our  regiment  has  already  taken  part  in  nine  bat- 
tles and  several  severe  skirmishes.  In  addition  to  my 
•services  as  a  scout  and  spy,  I  have  taken  part  in  all 
of  them  but  one,  and  that  was  missed  because  I  was 
sick  and  unable  for  duty.  But,  as  much  privation 
and  hardships  as  I  have  experienced,  and  as  much 
danger  as  I  have  been  exposed  to,  I  cannot  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  call  of  my  country. 

"  Living  and  mingling,  as  I  have,  with  the  people 
of  the  South,  and  being  with  them  at  the  time  the 
war  commenced,  I  was  able  to  discern,  with  approxi- 
mate correctness,  the  gigantic  proportions  of  the  re- 
bellion. I  well  knew  the  feelings  that  had  impelled 
them,  and  the  obstinate  and  reckless  determination 
with  which  they  would  hold  out  against  the  attempt  of 
the  Federal  Government  to  bring  them  into  subjection. 

"  In  responding  to  the  call  of  my  country  to  sus- 


296  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

tain  her  noble  prestige  and  glory,  I  had  well  counted 
the  cost  of  the  sacrifice  that  I  was  about  to  make  ; 
and,  contrary  to  the  general  expectation  of  a  large 
proportion  of  those  that  volunteered,  I  had  no  idea 
that  the  rebellion  wrould  be  put  down  in  a  few  months, 
but  expected  that  years  must  elapse  before  our  coun- 
try would  be  restored  to  its  former  proportions,  peace, 
and  prosperity  > 

"Two  years  and  a  half  have  already  passed  since 
the  first  shot  was  fired  at  that  star-spangled  banner 
by  the  hands  of  traitors  who  had  been  reared  under 
its  protecting  folds. 

"During  that  period,  thousands  of  patriotic  hearts, 
that  beat  with  love  for  their  country,  have  ceased  their 
pulsations  in  the  noble  effort  to  crush  the  traitorous 
arm  that  was  raised  against  the  most  glorious  struc- 
ture of  human  liberty. 

"Fathers  and  mothers,  brothers  and  sisters,  wives 
and  sweethearts  have  mourned  the  loss  of  the  noble 
fallen. 

"  Some  of  the  heroes  of  this  war  have  dragged  out 
a  lingering,  distressing  existence  by  disease,  breath- 
ing the  hero's  prayer  as  they  closed  their  eyes  in 
death.  Others  have  died  amid  the  clash  of  arms  and 
the  din  of  battle ;  others,  smitten  down  by  the  hand 
of  the  foe,  have  spent  days  of  horrible  agony,  with- 
out food,  water,  or  shelter,  and  then — died,  glorious 
martyrs  of  liberty,  on  the  field  where  they  fell. 

"Still  the  war  continues,  and  the  distant  boom  of 
cannon  announces  that  more  martyrs  are  being  sac- 
rificed, and  other  hearts  are  being  broken. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  297 

"The  page  of  history  will  never  reveal  the  anguish 
and  suffering  caused  by  this  unholy  rebellion. 

"The  fond  father  and  mother,  who  have  invoked 
the  blessing  of  Heaven  upon  their  heroic  son,  as  he 
was  about  to  leave  them  to  encounter  the  hardships, 
privations,  and  sufferings  of  the  warrior,  will  never 
know  the  sufferings  which  that  loved  one  has  endured  ; 
nor  will  the  loved  one  know  the  intense  anxiety  and 
the  agony  of  the  broken  hearts  of  those  aged  parents, 
until  they  meet  in  the  blissful  bowers  of  a  patriot  and 
hero. 

"  No  pen  can  ever  portray  the  sighs  and  anguish  of 
the  devoted  wife  and  tender  children,  whose  husband 
and  father,  their  solace  and  support,  has  been  smitten 
down  by  the  hand  of  the  foe. 

"It  has  been  my  lot  and  pleasure  to  be  a  comrade 
and  a  sharer  with  those  that  have  thus  freely  suffered 
and  bled  to  perpetuate  the  blessings  of  liberty  ;  and 
I  can  testify  that  there  has  been  no  hardship  so  great, 
no  suffering  so  intense,  no  death  so  horrible  as  to  ef- 
face the  calm  smiles  of  satisfaction  and  love  from  the 
face  of  the  war-wrinkled  hero,  as  he  closed  his  eyes 
in  death,  with  his  last  lingering  look  upon  the  flag  of 
his  country. 

"Notwithstanding  the  many  narrow  escapes  and 
perilous  adventures  and  sufferings  that  I  have  expe- 
rienced, from  long  marches  and  from  sickness,  and 
from  exposure  to  the  weather  by  sleeping  upon  the 
ground,  unsheltered  by  blanket  or  cover,  during  my 
travels  as  a  scout ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  dangers 
I  have  experienced  upon  the  field  of  battle,  amid  the 
'3* 


298  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

roar  of  musketry  and  the  crash  of  artillery,  and  the 
groans  of  my  mangled  comrades,  wounded  and  dying, 
as  they  lay  weltering  in  pools  of  blood,  I  prize  my 
country  no  less  than  I  did  two  years  and  a  half  ago, 
and  my  heart  beats  with  the  same  patriotism  that 
first  prompted  me  to  raise  my  arm  in  defence  of  the 
Union. 

"  So  long  as  an  armed  traitor  shall  be  found  in  re- 
bellion against  the  government,  I  shall  continue  my 
career  as  a  soldier.  I  cannot  leave  the  field  until 
this  rebellion  is  crushed. 

"The  spirits  of  my  fallen  comrades  are  hovering 
about  me,  and  beckoning  me  on  to  avenge  their  suf- 
ferings and  our  insulted  flag ;  and  it  seems  to  me 
their  mouldering  bodies  would  turn  over  in  disgust  in 
the  graves  that  inclose  them,  were  I  to  leave  the  lau- 
rels that  we  have  so  gallantly  won  to  the  uncertainty 
of  strange  hands.  Come,  then,  to  the  rescue  ! 

"Your  fathers  and  mothers,  your  wives  and  sweet- 
hearts, and  all  your  loved  ones  at  home,  will  cheer 
you  on  in  the  noble  course.  Their  thanksgivings  and 
prayers  are  already  encircling  the  throne  of  God  in 
your  behalf ;  and  when  you  return  to  your  homes, 
their  kind  hands  will  place  garlands  of  flowers  upon 
your  heads  as  crowns  of  glory  that  you  have  won. 
Cast  your  eyes  upon  the  sacred  emblem  of  our  coun- 
try— to  the  flag  which  you  have  followed  to  the  field 
of  blood,  and  around  which  you  have  rallied  in  the 
din  of  battle,  and  beneath  which  your  brave  comrades 
have  fallen,  and  remember  the  glorious  victories  that 
you  have  won,  and  that  a  nation's  gratitude  is  yours. 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  299 

"  March  bravely  on,  as  you  have  already  done, 
winning  victory  after  victory,  and  but  a  few  months 
more  will  elapse  till  you  have  planted  the  stars  and 
stripes  in  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  rebellious 
States. 

i;Then  will  peace,  happiness,  and  prosperity  shed 
their  effulgent  rays  over  all  the  land,  and  you  will  re- 
turn to  your  homes,  enshrouded  with  glory,  to  meet 
the  warm  embrace  of  friends,  knowing  that  you  have 
a  country,  and  that  a  free  country/' 


300  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 

Frightened  by  a  dead  Colonel— Burns  Confederate  corn  in  face  of  the 
enemy — Gets  into  a  tight  place — A  frightened  Major — Captures  infor- 
mation—A headstrong  Captain  gobbled  up — Captures  a  rebel  Provost- 
marshal  General — Encounter  with  General  Ross' s  cavalry — A  strange 
adventure— Races  with  a  rebel  Colonel— A  hard-hearted  woman. 

THE  next  service  that  I  performed  was  in  the 
month  of  February,  1864.  It  was  in  that  month  that 
General  Sherman  made  what  is  known  as  the  "  Meri- 
dian raid."  I  accompanied  the  expedition.  The 
second  day  out  from  Yicksburg,  General  McPherson 
sent  me  to  watch  the  movements  of  Wirt  Adams,  who 
was  hovering  about  our  right  flank  with  1,500  caval- 
ry. I  found  a  movement  in  progress  to  attack  the 
ordnance  and  supply  train,  which  I  reported  in 
time  to  prevent ;  it  was  handsomely  effected  by  the 
llth  Illinois  Cavalry.  At  night  the  army  halted  at 
Bear  Creek. 

There  an  incident  occurred  that  I  can  never  for- 
get. I  expected  to  go  home  with  my  regiment  on 
veteran  furlough  as  soon  as  the  campaign  that  we 
were  then  on  was  completed.  I  had  felt  desirous  of 
procuring  a  complete  Confederate  colonel's  uniform 
to  take  home  with  me.  I  had  already  secured  every- 
thing except  a  coat.  When  I  had  completed  my 
day's  ride,  and  secured  my  horse  for  the  night,  it  was 
nine  o'clock  Passing  along  the  line  to  find  Sergeant 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  301 

Downs,  I  met  a  soldier,  who  said,  "  Bunker,  didn't  I 
hear  you  say  that  you  wanted  a  rebel  colonel's 
coat  ?" 

"Yes." 

"There  was  a  rebel  colonel  killed  on  the  skirmish 
line  in  front  to-day." 

"  Was  there !     Where  is  he  ?" 

"Go  up  to  the  ditch  yonder,  to  the  left,  till  you 
come  to  the  end  of  it ;  then  take  a  hollow  that  leads 
away  to  your  left.  The  first  body  that  you  come  to 
is  a  dead  private  ;  the  next  is  that  of  a  colonel." 

The  night  was  very  dark,  but  my  desires  to  obtain 
the  coat  were  so  strong  that  they  overcame  all  fear, 
so  I  started  out.  I  found  the  hollow  described  with 
less  difficulty  than  I  had  expected.  Coming  to  the 
dead  private,  I  said,  "Good-evening,  Johnnie  !  you'll 
get  cold  there,  won't  you?"  A  few  steps  further 
brought  me  to  another  body.  "  Good-evening,  Colo- 
nel !"  said  I.  He  made  no  reply.  I  continued : 
"  You  are  going  down  below,  where  it  is  warm,  and 
when  we  get  back  from  this  raid  I  am  going  up  north, 
where  it  is  cold  ;  you  have  got  a  good  coat  and  I  want 
it.  Since  it  is  so  warm  down  where  you  are  going 
that  you  don't  need  it,  what  objection  can  you  have 
to  my  taking  it  ?" 

The  colonel  made  no  reply. 

"  Well,  colonel,  they  say  silence  gives  consent,  so  I 
guess  I'll  take  it." 

He  lay  on  his  back,  with  his  feet  crossed,  and  one 
arm  lying  across  his  breast.  His  boots  were  already 
gone.  Taking  hold  of  his  arm  and  raising  it  up,  I 


302  THE    GRE.AT   AMERICAN 

found  that  it  was  limber.  Said  I,  "  You  haven't  had 
your  furlough  long,  have  you,  Colonel?"  He  made 
no  reply.  I  set  the  body  up,  and  got  down  upon  my 
knees  in  front  of  it,  and  commenced  to  take  off  the 
coat.  A  gasp  and  a  convulsive  spring  forward 
brought  the  colonel's  open  mouth  suddenly  against 
my  face.  Unearthly  horror  seized  me ;  with  one 
bound  I  was  on  my  feet,  and  the  next  thing  that  I 
knew  I  was  in  camp.  To  say  that  I  was  frightened 
is  no  description  of  my  feelings.  Had  a  demon  from 
the  infernal  regions  placed  his  gnashing  jaws  against 
my  face,  I  could  not  have  been  more  horrified.  I 
covered  myself  in  my  blankets,  and  cold  tremors 
crept  over  me  for  hours  after.  Every  attempt  to 
court  sleep  would  force  through  my  mind  a  vivid  rec- 
ollection of  every  mean  thing  that  I  had  ever  done, 
followed  by  all  the  stories  of  ghosts  and  hobgoblins 
that  I  had  ever  heard.  I  have  had  no  desire  since  to 
obtain  a  rebel  colonel's  coat. 

The  next  morning  the  march  was  resumed.  Noth- 
ing of  particular  interest  occurred,  save  the  usual 
skirmishing,  foraging,  and  burning  consequent  upon 
such  expeditions,  for  several  days.  After  we  had 
crossed  Pearl  Eiver,  I  was  kept  constantly  on  the 
flanks,  scouting.  I  usually  had  a  squad  of  men  with 
me.  At  Jonesboro  I  was  sent  out  on  the  left  flank, 
with  a  squad  of  eight  men.  A  few  miles  out  from 
Jonesboro,  the  road  leading  to  Hillsboro  forks.  The 
straight  and  most  direct  road  leads  through  seven 
miles  of  swamp,  and  is  known  as  the  "lower  road." 
The  right-hand  road  leads  to  the  south,  around  the 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  303 

swamp,  and  is  called  the  "upper  road."  The  latter 
was  the  one  taken  by  the  army  in  its  route  to  Hills- 
boro.  When  I  left  the  troops  in  the  morning,  I  did 
not  know  that  there  was  more  than  one  road  leading 
to  that  place.  The  consequence  was,  I  kept  to  the 
left  of  the  lower  road,  which  carried  me  entirely  too 
far  from  the  main  force  of  the  army  for  safety. 

After  travelling  about  eight  miles,  we  came  to  a 
^cross-road.  Our  course,  thus  .far,  had  not  been  con- 
fined to  any  road,  but  lay  across  the  fields.  As  we 
came  to  the  cross-road  we  emerged  from  a  piece  of 
woodland.  Half  a  mile  beyond  us  was  a  double  log- 
house  and  several  large  rail-pens,  which  we  saw  was 
filled  with  Confederate  corn.  Three  hundred  yards 
to  the  left  of  the  corn  we  discovered  a  camp  of  two 
regiments  of  rebel  cavalry.  These  we  tried  to  clear, 
by  filing  to  the  right  and  keeping  along  in  the  timber 
to  the  west  of  the  road.  Less  than  a  hundred  yards 
brought  us  to  a  small  stream  of  water,  whose  banks 
were  lined  with  a  dense  growth  of  alders.  The 
stream,  after  crossing  the  road,  made  its  way  along  to 
within  fifty  yards  of  the  corn-crib.  Taking  advan- 
tage of  the  cover  afforded  by  the  alders,  one  of  my 
party,  James  E.  Bader,  waded  down  the  shallow 
stream  until  opposite  the  cribs,  and  then,  under  cover 
of  the  cribs,  made  his  way  to  them  and  set  them  on 
fire,  and  then  retraced  his  steps. 

Two  miles  further  south,  we  came  to  a  planter's 
house,  where  I  found  a  table  spread  for  eighteen  per- 
sons, and  fried  sausage  figured  extensively  in  the 
meal,  which  was  then  nearly  prepared. 


304  TOE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"You've  got  the  table  set  for  some  Johnnies,  I 
reckon,"  said  I  to  the  planter. 

"  No,  sir  ;  for  none  but  our  own  family." 

"I  reckon  you  have  ;  I'll  go  out  and  stand  picket 
while  my  men  come  in  and  confiscate  the  meal."  As 
I  was  about  to  step  behind  an  ash-house  that  stood  in 
the  yard,  the  old  man,  who  had  followed  me  out, 
stepped  up  to  me  and  begged  of  me  not  to  go  there. 
Said  he,  "  If  you  do  you  will  surely  get  shot." 

"  You  want  to  frighten  the  men  away  from  that 
sausage,"  said  I,  still  determined  to  go  there. 

"No,"  said  he,  "I  have  never  seen  a  man  shot, 
and  I  don't  want  to  see  you  shot  in  my  own  yard ; 
you  will  certainly  get  shot  if  you  go  there.  If  you 
want  to  stand  picket  at  all,  go  up  into  my  garret  and 
watch  from  the  window.". 

The  old  man  turned  so  pale  and  looked  so  much 
in  earnest,  that  I  concluded  to  take  his  advice.  In- 
stead of  going  into  the  front  door  I  went  round  to  the 
back  door  :  both  doors  were  open.  In  the  front  end 
of  the  hall  sat  the  planter's  daughter,  waving  a  white 
handkerchief,  and  in  the  field  beyond,  not  more  than 
three  hundred  yards  distant,  I  saw  a  line  of  Johnnies 
coming,  hiding  their  approach  as  much  as  they  could 
by  intervening  objects.  I  said  to  the  boys,  "  Grab 
the  sausage,  kick  over  the  table,  and  be  off,  for  the  rebs 
are  on  us."  We  took  to  the  trees,  when  quite  a  live- 
ly skirmish  ensued,  which  lasted  for  several  minutes. 
The  rebs  then  took  to  their  horses,  evidently  bent  on 
intercepting  our  retreat  on  the  cross-road.  As  soon 
as  they  were  out  of  sight,  we  started  across  the  fields 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  305 

in  their  roar,  and  bent  our  course  for  the  "  lower 
Hillsboro"  road,  which  proved  to  be  about  a  mile 
distant.  There  were  eighteen  of  the  rebs,  and  they 
had  evidently  been  watching  the  "lower  road"  for 
forage  parties.  We  had  been  coming  up  in  their 
rear  until  we  stopped  to  confiscate  the  sausage.  On 
reaching  the  road,  I  found  that  the  troops  had  not 
passed  that  way,  and  consequently  must  have  taken 
some  other.  The  fact  now  flashed  upon  my  mind 
that  we  were  much  further  from  our  command  than 
we  had  any  idea  of. 

There  was  a  brick  church  at  the  corner  of  the 
road.  I  got  the  boys  into  that  as  quick  as  possible, 
and  ordered  them  to  knock  out  the  windows.  While 
they  were  preparing  for  defence,  I  .stood  in  the  road 
and  watched.  While  the  boys  were  getting  ready,  a 
lieutenant  and  a  private  of  the  Federal  Signal  Corps 
came  up,  each  armed  with  revolvers,  and  soon  after 
several  infantry  soldiers,  that  had  strayed  away  from 
their  commands,  came  in  sight.  I  hurried  them  up, 
and  had  hardly  got  them  into  the  church  when  a  par- 
ty of  rebs  made  their  appearance.  We  opened  on  them 
lively,  and  killed  two  of  their  number  and  wounded 
others,  which  caused  them  to  clear  out  and  leave  us. 
I  knew  it  would  not  do  to  stay  there  long,  so  we  "lit 
out"  to  find  the  army,  taking  the  cross-road  to  the 
south.  Being  mounted,  I  rode  on  ahead,  until  I  came 
to  the  upper  road.  The  16th  Corps  had  just  passed, 
and  the  17th  was  just  coming  into  sight.  In  a  few 
minutes  General  McPherson  and  staff  came  up,  and 
wanted  to  know  what  the  firing  was  about.  I  re- 


30 G  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

ported  the  situation  of  affairs.  Just  then  two  of  my 
squad,  who  had  brought  up  the  rear  at  a  distance  of 
three  hundred  yards  behind  the  rest,  came  up  on  the 
run,  with  information  that  two  regiments  of  rebel 
cavalry  were  coming.  The  General  ordered  a  brig- 
ade of  infantry  into  position  on  a  double-quick.  They 
were  hardly  in  line  before  the  rebs  commenced  firing. 
A  lively  engagement  ensued,  which  lasted  about  thirty 
minutes,  and  resulted  in  a  handsome  defeat  of  the  enemy. 

A  march  of  three  days  more  brought  us  to  Deca- 
tur,  Miss.  The  16th  Army  Corps  passed  on  beyond 
the  place  to  encamp  for  the  night.  As  the  rear  of 
their  supply  train  was  passing  out  of  the  place  it  was 
attacked,  and  one  man  and  twenty-six  mules  were 
killed.  The  17th  Corps  encamped  for  the  night  at 
Dccatur.  The  next  morning  General  Leggctt  sent 
me  out  on  a  road  running  south  from  the  place,  to  as- 
certain whether  there  was  a  rebel  force  near.  I  had 
only  gone  half  a  mile  before  I  discovered  at  a  short 
distance  ahead  of  me,  a  squad  of  seven  mounted  rebels 
at  their  picket-post.  As  soon  as  they  saw  me  they 
came  into  line  of  attack. 

Wheeling  my  horse,  I  motioned  with  my  right  hand 
for  them  not  to  shoot,  and  with  my  left  for  them  to 
come  on  up.  About  twenty  feet  brought  me  out  of 
their  sight  behind  the  brush,  and  putting  spurs  to  my 
horse  I  rode  to  camp. 

I  reported  the  fact  to  General  Leggett,  and  as  I  was 
passing  the  first  line  of  our  troops,  Major  Fry,  of  the 
20th  Ohio,  said  tome,  "Bunker,  what  is  out  there  ?" 

"There  are  rebs  out  there." 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  307 

"How  far?" 

"  Not  more  than  half  a  mile." 

"Pshaw!  Bunker,  you  must  be  mistaken;  there 
can't  be  rebs  that  near/' 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  go  and  see  if  you  don't 
believe  it." 

The  Major  mounted  his  black  stallion  and  went 
out.  The  road  was  crooked,  and  lined  on  both  sides 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  pine  underbrush,  so  that  it 
was  impossible  to  sec  far.  He  hadn't  been  gone  long 
enough  to  have  rode  half  a  mile,  when  he  was  seen 
coming  back,  with  his  horse  under  full  spur,  and  at  its 
utmost  speed,  with  hat  in  hand,  shouting  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  "  Fall  in  !  Fall  in !"  From  the  Major's  ac- 
tions, the  regiment  supposed  that  a  large  force  of 
rebels  were  about  to  attack  us.  The  troops  instantly 
fell  in,  when  a  company  was  sent  out  to  find  the  cause- 
of  alarm,  and  discovered  seven  men  that  had  given 
chase  to  the  Major.  Officers  sometimes  get  frightened 
as  well  as  enlisted  men. 

General  Leggett  then  gave  me  a  squad  of  twenty- 
six  men,  and  sent  me  out  on  a  road  to  the  southeast 
of  the  town.  Two  miles  out  I  saw  a  citizen  fleeing 
from  his  house  to  the  woods,  as  if  alarmed  at  our  ap- 
proach. I  gave  chase  and  soon  caught  up  with  him. 
Brandishing  my  revolver,  I  said  to  him,  "Daddy, 
you  have  got  to  tell  me  one  thing,  or  I  will  kill  you 
right  here  ;  now  tell  me  the  truth." 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"  Where  were  you  going,  and  what  were  you  going 
for?" 


308  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

''There  are  six  hundred  State  militia  down  in  the 
woods,  about  three -quarters  of  a  mile  from  here.  I 
was  afraid  of  you  all,  and  I  was  going  down  there  for 
protection." 

"  You  belong  to  them,  I  suppose  ?" 

"No,  sir." 

"What  are  the  militia  doing  there?" 

"  They  are  going  to  attack  your  supply  train." 

"That's  a  fact,  is  it?" 

"  Yes,  and  they  are  going  to  do  it  right  quick/' 

"  It  was  the  militia  that  killed  the  mules  last  night, 
I  suppose." 

"No,  it  was  the  citizens  of  the  town." 

"  Did  you  have  a  hand  in  it  ?" 

"No,  sir,  but  my  brother  did.  I'll  tell  you  how  it 
was  done.  Before  the  Yankee  force  came  up,  the 
citizens  of  the  town  met  on  the  public  square,  and 
joined  hands  around  the  Confederate  pole,  with  the 
Confederate  colors  flying,  and  swore  by  Almighty 
(rod  that  they  would  resist  the  march  of  the  Yan- 
kees through  the  place,  or  every  man  would  die  in 
the  attempt.  As  soon  as  the  Yankee  advance  made 
its  appearance,  they  all  fled  to  the  woods.  As  the 
rear  of  the  train  came  up,  they  rallied  and  made  the 
attack  ;  but  as  soon  as  they  saw  other  troops  coming, 
they  again  fled." 

I  returned  to  General  Leggett  to  report  the  infor- 
mation that  I  had  gained.  I  found  him  still  in  Dcca- 
tur,  superintending  the  departure  of  troops.  The 
train  was  already  moving  out.  I  told  him  what  was 
up.  Said  he,  "  They  dare  not  attack  it ;  and  if  they 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  309 

do,  there  ain't  enough  of  them  to  wake  up  one  side 
of  it." 

"  I  don't  say,  General,  they  will  capture  the  train, 
but  they  will  attack  it." 

In  about  twenty  minutes  the  crack  of  rifles  was 
heard,  which  increased  in  frequency  until  the  firing 
was  quite  lively. 

"  They  are  at  it,  I  guess,"  said  the  General.  "  I 
must  see  about  that."  So  out  we  went  to  the  scene 
of  action.  The  guards  were  doing  bravely,  but  the 
presence  of  the  General  inspired  them  with  new 
courage,  and  they  pitched  into  the  militia  like  so 
many  tigers,  and  whipped  them  without  any  re-en- 
forcements to  assist  them. 

Some  think  it  absolutely  necessary  in  a  battle  to 
have  commissioned  officers  to  give  command,  but 
here  was  a  desperate  fight,  and  a  glorious  victory, 
and  not  a  commissioned  officer  within  half  a  mile  dur- 
ing the  engagement. 

Shortly  after  the  foregoing  event,  I  met  two  mem- 
bers of  the  78th  Ohio,  who  had  been  out  on  the  left 
flank  in  search  of  supplies.  They  found  a  house  oc- 
cupied by  an  old  lady  and  two  daughters.  They  said 
the}''  had  enjoyed  themselves  finely  ;  had  had  a  good 
dinner,  and  had  been  invited  to  dine  with  them  again 
the  next  day. 

I  says,  "  Boys,  will  you  accept  their  invitation?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  they. 

"Well,  then,  that  will  be  the  last  of  you,  unless 
some  one  goes  with  you." 

"  Will  you  go  with  us?"  said  they. 


310  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

"I  will,"  said  I,  "  if  I  can  take  a  squad  of  men  with 
me." 

Said  I,  "  Boys,  now  you  must  face  the  music." 

"0  yes,  we'll  do  that." 

"All  right.     We'll  start  to-morrow  morning." 

The  next  day  we  started  on  our  trip. 

When  we  reached  the  place,  I  told  the  boys  to  go 
in  and  see  to  the  dinner.  I  took  twenty-six  of  my 
men  and  formed  them  in  three  companies,  so  that  we 
could  see  the  movements  at  the  house.  Soon  I  saw 
a  girl  come  to  the  door  of  the  house  and  wave  her 
handkerchief  toward  a  piece  of  woods.  Out  came 
six  rebel  soldiers  and  rode  up  to  the  house,  dis- 
mounted and  went  in.  By  a  flourish  of  my  revolver 
I  gave  the  command  to  my  men  to  come  up  and 
surround  the  house.  I  dismounted  and  went  into  the 
door.  They  said,  "Come  in,  Mr.  Yank,  we'll  take 
you,  too." 

"  Dismount,  boys,  and  come  in,  the  Johnnies  want 
you  in  here." 

Twenty-seven  of  us  rushed  in,  and  the  rebels  in 
surprise  said  to  the  girl,  "  What  does  this  mean?" 

She  said,  "  I  didn't  know  that  there  was  but  two." 

They  had  already  robbed  the  boys  of  their  money, 
finger  rings,  <foc.,  so  we  in  return  took  the  money  and 
rings,  with  their  horses  and  other  valuables,  and 
marched  them  into  camp,  not  waiting  for  dinner. 

At  Meridian,  General  McPherson  sent  me  out  alone 
to  hunt  up  a  grist-mill  that  was  suitable  to  grind  corn 
for  the  army.  It  was  rendered  necessary  because  of 
our  having  advanced  into  the  enemy's  country  one 

10* 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  311 

hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  our  base  of  supplies, 
which  compelled  us  to  subsist  upon  the  products  of 
the  country. 

Two  miles  out  from  Meridian  I  found  a  mill,  but  it 
needed  some  repairs.  The  man  who  kept  it  told  me 
that  there  was  another  mill  six  miles  further  down  the 
stream  that  was  in  good  running  order.  I  went  out 
to  find  it,  but  had  gone  only  about  a  mile,  when  I 
discovered  rebel  forces,  both  of  infantry  and  caval- 
ry. From  appearances,  I  judged  them  to  be  quite 
strong.  I  then  retraced  my  steps  toward  camp.  On 
my  way  I  met  a  captain,  with  a  detail  of  forty  men, 
going  after  forage.  I  advised  him  to  go  back.  I  told 
him  the  strength  of  their  forces,  and  that  if  he  under- 
took to  go  on  the  rebs  would  gobble  him  up.  He  in- 
sisted upon  having  his  own  way,  and  went  on.  Two 
men  of  Company  K,  of  the  17th  Illinois  Infantry, 
who  knew  me,  heard  what  I  said  to  the  captain,  and, 
not  liking  very  well  to  be  captured,  fell  back  a  short 
distance  to  the  rear  of  the  squad,  and  watched  the 
motion  of  things.  The  result  was  the  captain  and 
his  men  were  surprised  and  all  gobbled  up  without 
firing  a  shot  or  making  any  resistance,  except  the 
two  that  fell  back,  and  they  made  a  narrow  es- 
cape. 

After  leaving  the  captain,  I  hurried  back  and 
reported  to  General  McPherson,  who  sent  out  a 
force  of  cavalry  as  quickly  as  possible  to  support 
the  captain,  or  release  him  if  captured.  The 
assistance,  however,  was  too  late.  The  rebs  had 
departed  with  their  prisoners. 


312  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

We  staid  at  Meridian  two  days,  which  we  spent 
in  gathering  supplies  and  devastating  the  country. 

The  object  of  the  raid  was  to  impoverish  the  coun- 
try as  much  as  possible,  and  it  was  successfully 
accomplished.  The  destruction  of  property  could 
not  have  been  more  complete.  At  the  expiration  of 
two  days  the  army  retraced  its  way  eighteen  miles, 
and  then  made  another  halt  of  two  days,  to  rest  the 
teams. 

From  that  place,  Colonel  Potts,  of  the  32d  Ohio 
Infantry  (since  a  Brevet  Major-General),  in  com- 
mand of  the  Ohio  Brigade,  was  sent  with  fifty-six 
wagons  to  the  north  of  our  line  of  march  after  supplies. 
I  went  with  him.  He  ordered  me  to  ride  on  some 
distance  in  advance,  and  see  what  I  could  find. 

Twelve  miles  out,  I  came  to  a  plantation  that  looked 
as  if  it  belonged  to  a  man  in  wealthy  circumstances. 

As  I  came  in  sight  of  the  house,  I  saw  two  men  go 
in.  The  house  stood  in  a  yard  inclosed  by  a  picket- 
fence  ;  behind  the  house  was  a  small  oak  grove. 

Halting  in  front  of  the  gate,  I  shouted,  "  Halloo  the 
house ! "  Two  men  came  out,  and  one  of  them  inquired 
what  I  wanted. 

"  I  want  you  to  come  out  to  the  gate,"  I  replied. 

"You  go  along  to  your  command,"  he  continued; 
"  you  have  no  business  here.  Your  command  has  just 
passed  the  corner  yonder,  out  of  sight.  I  don't  want 
you  straggling  back  and  prowling  around  my  prem- 
ises. I  am  Provost-marshal  General  of  this  district. 
and  I  order  you  to  go  on." 

"Oh,  come  out  here.     I  am  no  straggler.     I  have 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  313 

got  some  news  to  tell  you  about  the  Yankees,  and 
it's  good  news,  too." 

At  that  they  both  came  out  into  the  road.  As  the 
Marshal  closed  the  gate,  and  stepped  away  from  it,  I 
reined  my  horse  between  him  and  the  gate,  and 
quickly  presenting  my  revolver,  told  them  that  they 
were  my  prisoners,  and  if  they  made  any  attempt  to 
get  away  I'd  kill  them  both  on  the  spot.  I  then 
marched  them  back  till  I  met  Colonel  Potts. 

"  What  have  you  got  here  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"The  Provost-marshal  General." 

"Is  that  your  rank,  sir?"  he  inquired  of  the 
prisoner. 

"Yes  sir." 

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"Davis,  sir;  Doctor  Davis,  they  call  me." 

"  What  is  your  name?"  (addressing  the  other). 

"My  name  is  Davis  ;  I  am  a  brother  of  the  doctor." 

"What  is  your  rank?" 

"  I  am  a  private  in  the  35th  Mississippi  Regiment." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?" 

"  I  am  on  furlough.  Here  it  is,"  said  he,  pulling  it 
out  and  handing  it  to  the  Colonel. 

The  Colonel  ordered  me  to  take  them  to  the  rear. 
I  said  to  the  Colonel  it  is  only  a  few  rods  to  the 
doctor's  house  ;  so  he  brought  them  along  to  the 
house,  where  they  were  turned  over  to  my  care. 
I  now  discovered,  for  the  first  time,  that  there  were 
several  persons  chained  to  the  trees  in  the  little  grove 
behind  the  house.  Leaving  my  prisoners  with  a 
guard,  I  went  to  find  out  who  they  were.  I  found  that 
14 


314  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

they  had  iron  collars  around  their  necks,  to  which  the 
chains  were  made  fast.  They  said  they  were  Union 
people,  and  lived  in  the  country  about  there,  and  that 
they  had  fled  from  conscription,  and  Doctor  Davis 
had  hunted  them  down  with  bloodhounds,  and  then 
chained  them  there.  I  went  to  the  doctor  and  asked 
him  who  he  had  got  chained  up  in  the  grove.  He 
said,  "They  are  Confederate  soldiers  that  have  de- 
serted their  regiments.  I  captured  them,  and  fastened 
them  that  way  for  safe-keeping,  until  I  could  return 
them  to  their  commands." 

I  made  him  give  me  his  keys,  and  then  I  unlocked 
the  Union  men,  and  put  one  of  the  iron  collars  on 
Doctor  Davis'  neck  and  locked  him  to  the  hind  end  of 
one  of  the  wagons.  The  doctor's  brother  cried,  and 
said  he  would  rather  see  him  shot  than  treated  that 
way,  and  begged  of  me  to  let  him  go.  I  told  him 
that  such  treatment  was  no  worse  for  rebs  than  it  was 
for  good  Union  men.  I  had  hardly  stepped  away  from 
the  doctor  when  the  Union  men  pitched  into  him,  and 
I  guess  they  would  have  killed  him  in  a  very  few 
minutes  if  I  had  not  interfered.  I  was  very  sorry 
afterward  that  I  didn't  let  them  do  him  justice. 

We  loaded  the  fifty- six  wagons  with  bacon,  oats,  and 
corn,  from  the  doctor's  plantation,  and  then  burned 
every  thing  that  was  left.  While  the  wagons  were 
being  loaded,  some  Indians  that  lived  near  by  came 
to  us,  and  seeing  that  I  had  the  doctor  chained,  said  : 

"  Bad  man  ;  very  bad  man.     Be  glad  he's  gone." 

As  soon  as  I  reached  camp,  I  reported  to  General 
McPherson  who  I  had  captured.  He  said,  "  Doctor 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  315 

Davis  is  notorious  for  his  cruelty  to  loyal  people. 
Bring  your  prisoner  in." 

While  I  was  gone  for  the  prisoner,  General  Sher- 
man and  General  Logan  came  over,  and  were  there 
when  I  entered  with  him.  General  Sherman  asked 
him  a  few  questions,  and  then  gave  him  a  most  severe 
upbraiding  for  his  barbarous  cruelty.  When  the 
generals  had  all  given  him  a  piece  of  their  minds,  he 
was  turned  over  to  my  care. 

The  next  morning  I  took  him  out  into  the  woods 
alone,  to  see  what  I  could  do  toward  scaring  him.  1 
chained  him  to  a  tree,  and  then,  drawing  my  revolver, 
told  him  that  I  was  going  to  kill  him.  He  begged  of 
me  to  spare  his  life. 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "the  ox  is  yours  now;  why  didn't 
you  think  of  that  when  loyal  men  begged  of  you  for 
mercy  ?  You  have  no  time  to  beg  :  you  had  better 
go  to  praying." 

He  plead  and  cried,  and  finally  prayed.  As  much 
as  he  .deserved  death,  I  hadn't  the  heart  to  kill  him ; 
so  I  returned  him  to  his  place  behind  the  wagon. 
He  was  made  to  travel  all  the  way  to  Yicksburg 
with  the  collar  and  chain  fast  to  his  neck.  At 
Yicksburg  he  was  tried  by  court-martial,  and  sen- 
tenced to  confinement  on  Johnson's  Island. 

When  the  army  arrived  at  Jonesboro,  on  its  re- 
turn, General  McPherson  sent  me,  with  a  squad  of 
nine  men,  into  the  country  to  hunt  up  forage.  We 
were  all  mounted.  When  we  had  gone  about  eight 
miles  to  the  northwest,  we  came  to  a  small  stream 
that  flowed  within  deep  perpendicular  banks,  and  a 


316  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

few  yards  beyond  the  stream  we  came  to  a  house, 
where  we  dismounted.  I  went  to  the  stable  in  search 
of  horses  and  mules.  On  returning  to  the  yard,  in 
front  of  the  house,  I  found  my  men  gathered  in  a  cir- 
cle around  a  young  lady  that  had  come  out  of  the 
house.  She  was  dressed  extravagantly  gay  and  rich, 
evidently  in  expectation  of  a  visit  from  somebody. 
Her  gay  appearance  something  to  do  in  gathering  the 
men  around  her. 

"Boys, "said  I,  "  don't  you  know  better  than  to 
huddle  together  in  that  way  for  bushwhackers  to  shoot 
at?  One  shot  would  kill  two  or  three  of  you." 

"That's  so,  Bunker,"  said  they  scattering  out. 

"  What  are  you  dressed  up  so  nice  for?"  said  I  to 
the  lady.  Who's  coming  to  see  you  ?" 

"  I  ain't  dressed  up  ;  this  is  my  every-day  attire." 

"  You  needn't  try  to  deceive  me  in  that  way  ;  there 
is  somebody  coming  to  see  you,  and  if  you  don't  tell 
me  who  it  is,  I'll  burn  your  house  down." 

"Perhaps  if  you  stay  here  long  enough  you  will 
find  out  who  it  is." 

"  Whereabouts  is  General  Ross's  command?" 

"  He  is  not  far  from  here." 

"Well,  where  is  he?" 

"  Down  in  the  woods  yonder." 

"  Come  on,  boys,  we'll  go  down  and  see." 

We  mounted  and  rode  down  into  the  woods  ;  there 
we  discovered  a  great  many  fresh  horse-tracks.  I 
ordered  the  boys  to  dismount  and  form  a  skirmish 
line.  We  had  hardly  got  into  position  when  a  Confed- 
erate general  made  his  appearance  on  a  rise  of 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  317 

ground  in  our  front,  about  sixty  yards  distant,  com- 
ing toward  us.  When  he  had  ascended  fairly  to  the 
top  of  the  hill,  he  halted  to  look.  He  was  the  rich- 
est dressed  general  that  I  ever  saw.  His  uniform  was 
heavily  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  and  his  saddle,  bri- 
dle, and  holsters  were  mounted  with  gold.  The  gen- 
eral was  straight,  and  well  proportioned,  and  made  a 
splendid  appearance.  I  presumed  that  it  was  Gen- 
eral Ross,  on  his  way  to  visit  the  young  lady. 

"Jim,"  said  I  to  the  man  nearest  to  me,  whom  I 
knew  to  be  a  good  shot,  ' '  why  don't  you  shoot  that 
general  ?" 

Jim  fired  but  missed  him.  "We  gave  chase,  and 
fired  twelve  or  fifteen  shots  at  him,  but,  in  the  ex- 
citement of  the  occasion,  we  all  missed  him.  We 
followed  about  forty  rods,  then  returned  to  our  horses, 
recrossed  the  bridge,  tore  it  up,  stationed  ourselves 
behind  trees,  and  waited  for  the  approach  of  the  ene- 
my, who,  I  felt  sure,  would  give  chase.  We  had  not 
waited  long  until  the  expected  enemy  came.  We 
opened  fire  on  them  as  they  came  up,  which  was 
kept  up  by  us  for  several  minutes,  and  returned  with 
equal  vigor  by  them.  Finding  they  made  no  im- 
pression on  us,  they  withdrew.  Suspecting  that  they 
knew  of  some  other  place  to  cross  the  stream,  I  told 
the  boys  to  "light  out."  We  were  hardly  in  saddle 
till  we  saw  the  rebels  coming  from  another  direc- 
tion. They  had  crossed  the  creek,  intent  on  our 
capture.  Away  we  went,  and  the  rebs  after  us.  It 
was  now  nip  and  tuck  who  had  the  fastest  horses. 
Fortunately  for  us,  during  our  absence  the  16th 


318  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

Corps  had  moved  out  on  the  road  that  we  were  on, 
and  gone  into  camp,  and  we  had  only  about  three 
miles  to  ride  before  we  ran  into  our  own  lines.  The 
rebs  kept  up  the  chase  until  they  were  fired  into  by 
our  pickets.  I  never  learned  whether  we  injured 
any  of  the  rcbs  or  not ;  my  own  men  received  no  in- 
jury. 

Two  days'  further  marching  brought  the  army 
within  four  miles  of  Pearl  River  Swamp,  where  it 
halted  to  lay  a  pontoon  across  Pearl  River.  While 
the  army  was  waiting,  I  was  ordered  by  General 
Leggett  to  take  a  detail  of  eighteen  men  from  the 
32d  Ohio  Infantry,  in  addition  to  which  I  had  a  squad 
of  nine  that  had  been  on  detail  with  me  for  several 
days.  With  these  I  was  to  go  after  forage,  and  be 
ready  to  start  at  daylight  the  next  morning.  I  got 
horses  for  my  men,  and  had  them  all  ready  that 
night.  In  the  morning  we  started  for  General  Leg- 
gctt's  headquarters  for  special  instructions.  On  the 
way  I  met  a  lieutenant  of  the  23d  Indiana  Infantry, 
with  a  detail  of  ninety  men,  all  mounted.  He  said  to 
me,  "Bunker,  what  is  your  detail  for?" 

I  told  him  that  I  was  going  after  forage.  He  said, 
"  I  am  ordered  to  take  command  of  all  forage  parties 
to-day.  You  and  your  men  fall  in  with  me."  The 
men,  supposing  it  was  all  right,  fell  in,  except  one. 
I  knew  well  enough  that  he  had  misrepresented  his 
order  to  the  men.  He  wore  shoulder-straps  and  I 
wore  none.  I  was  vexed.  I  sat  on  my  horse  and 
watched  his  movements.  He  rode  on  to  the  head  of 
his  command  with  more  assuming  dignity  than  a  Ma- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  319 

jor-G-eneral  with  a  command  of  a  hundred  thousand 
men.  He  paid  no  attention  to  his  men,  and  they 
strung  out  behind  long  enough  for  a  good-sized  regi- 
ment. I  told  the  man  that  had  remained  with  me  to 
go  on,  and  tell  the  men  of  my  detail  that  I  wanted 
them  to  run  with  me,  and  to  drop  back  behind  till  I 
came  up.  This  they  did,  without  being  missed  by  the 
lieutenant.  I  got  them  all  back  but  one  man.  The 
lieutenant  filed  to  the  left  at  the  first  left-hand  road  ; 
I  went  on  to  the  second  left-hand  road,  and  then  filed 
left.  I  calculated  to  let  the  lieutenant  have  the  out- 
side track,  and  I  would  forage  inside  his  operations. 
After  turning  to  the  left,  we  went  a  mile,  and  then 
took  a  track  that  led  to  the  right,  down  through  a 
field,  and  then  into  a  piece  of  woods,  until  we  came 
to  a  creek,  with  a  steep  bank  on  the  side  that  we 
were  on  that  was  four  feet  down  to  the  water.  We 
could  only  get  our  animals  down  the  bank  by  push- 
ing them.  In  this  we  succeeded.  The  opposite  bank 
we  ascended  without  difficulty.  We  were  then  about 
five  miles  from  where  the  lieutenant  and  I  parted. 
Going  on  a  few  yards  further,  I  heard  the  sound  of 
voices,  and  motioned  to  the  boys  to  stop.  We  lis- 
tened, and  could  distinctly  hear  loud  talking,  and  oc- 
casionally such  expressions  as  "thar,"  "you  all," 
and  "  gwine,"  which  led  us  to  conclude  that  we  were 
coming  upon  a  party  of  rebs.  I  knew  that  Carson's 
cavalry  was  somewhere  not  far  distant,  and  readily 
enough  suspected  that  the  talking  we  heard  was  from 
his  men.  To  retrace  our  steps  was  impossible,  owing 
to  the  nature  of  the  opposite  bank  of  the  stream.  To 


320  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

remain  long  where  we  were  was  dangerous.  "  Boys," 
said  I,  "we  must  do  one  of  two  things — either 
fight  those  rebs  or  go  to  Andersonville.  Which  will 
you  do?" 

"Try  ?em  a  whack,  Bunker." 

"Well,  then,  tie  your  horses,  and  get  into  a  line 
of  skirmishers,  and  111  ride  cautiously  forward  and 
see  what's  there.  I  went  so  near  that  I  saw  two 
Confederate  soldiers  and  a  negro,  clad  in  confederate 
uniform.  This  confirmed  my  suspicions  that  we  had 
run  into  Carson's  cavalry.  I  concluded  that  our  only 
hope  lay  in  the  trial  of  strategy.  From  the  voices 
that  I  heard,  the  party,  whoever  they  were,  greatly 
outnumbered  mine. 

Having  placed  myself  at  the  rear  of  my  command, 
I  shouted  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  "ATTENTION 
BATTALION!  COMPANY  A,  ON  THE  RIGHT,  AND  B, 

ON    THE     LEFT,     DEPLOY     AS     SKIRMISHERS!     FORWARD 

— DOUBLE-QUICK — MARCH!"  Away  the  boys  went. 
Then  I  shouted,  "BATTALION — FORWARD — DOUBLE- 
QUICK — MARCH!"  I  was  the  battalion.  I  kept  on 
giving  commands,  as  we  advanced,  as  loud  as  I  could 
yell,  as  if  I  was  commanding  a  full  regiment  of  in- 
fantry. The  strategy  had  its  effect.  The  party  did 
not  wait  to  see  who  we  were,  but  very  unceremo- 
niously "lit  out."  We  only  got  sight  of  three  per- 
sons ;  those  were  the  two  Confederate  soldiers  and 
the  negro  that  I  have  mentioned,  who  remained  behind 
for  us  to  capture.  We  now  found  out  that  we  had 
stampeded  a  party  of  Federal  soldiers.  They  had 
left  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  wagon,  loaded  with  a 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  321 

barrel  of  sugar,  a  sack  of  flour,  and  nice  hams.  On 
top  of  the  load  was  a  roll  of  carpeting.  The  fleeing 
party  had  left  along  their  line  of  flight  great  numbers 
of  nice  hams,  that  they  had  thrown  away  in  their 
efforts  to  escape.  The  three  persons  that  we  had 
captured  had  hauled  the  stuff  down  into  the  woods 
that  morning,  to  hide  it  from  the  Yankees.  A  party 
of  Federal  soldiers  had  discovered  the  track,  and 
followed  it  up,  and  were  in  the  act  of  appropriating 
the  best  of  the  hams  to  their  own  use,  when  we 
surprised  them.  We  took  possession  of  the  property, 
and  started  on,  keeping  a  plantation  road  that  wound 
its  way  round  to  the  main  road,  on  which  the  army 
was  encamped. 

Just  before  we  came  out  on  the  main  road,  I  halted 
my  party  to  give  the  oxen  a  chance  to  rest.  While 
there,  the  llth  Illinois  Cavalry  and  a  brigade  of 
infantry  were  seen  coming  out  on  the  road  that  we 
were  on,  with  battle-flags  flying.  Coming  up  to  us, 
they  halted.  At  the  head  of  the  command,  with 
the  Colonel  of  the  llth  Illinois  Cavalry,  was  the 
Lieutenant  of  the  forage  party  and  a  private  of  the 
23d  Indiana  Infantry.  Said  the  private  to  me  : 

"  Bunker,  was  there  a  carpet  on  that  wagon  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  but  we  threw  it  away." 

"  Is  there  sugar  in  that  barrel?" 

"Yes." 

" Is  there  flour  in  that  sack?" 

"Yes." 

Turning  to  the  lieutenant,  "  Here  is  your  wagon." 

"  Do  you  claim  that  wagon,  Lieutenant?"  I  inquired. 


322  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

"  I  don't  know  as  it  is  my  wagon." 

"If  it  is,  just  say  so ;  I  don't  know  as  one  soldier 
is  better  than  another.  These  supplies  are  for  this 
noble  army.  If  they  are  yours,  just  say  so  ;  then  I'll 
tell  how  I  came  by  them." 

"I  don't  know  as  I  care  who  has  them;  only  I 
would  like  to  have  had  one  of  those  hams  for  my  din- 
ner." 

"Well,  why  didn't  you  save  one  of  the  hams  that 
you  threw  away,  if  you  wanted  one  so  bad  ?" 

"I  declare,"  said  the  Colonel,  "if  this  ahvt  a 
pretty  flirt!  A  brigade  of  infantry  and  a  battalion 
of  cavalry  sent  out  to  attack  Bunker  and  his  squad !" 

The  colonel  then  moved  with  his  command  back  to 
camp,  and  I  reported  with  my  forage  to  General 
Leggett. 

The  next  day  I  took  out  a  squad  of  six  men  on  a 
road  leading  to  the  northwest.  Two  miles  out  I  came 
to  a  cross-road  leading  down  to  Pearl  Eiver.  Near 
the  corners  stood  a  dwelling-house,  and  in  the  yard 
lay  a  dead  horse,  which,  from  appearances,  had  been 
killed  only  a  few  minutes  before.  Riding  into  the 
yard  and  reining  up  to  the  door  of  the  house,  I  called 
the  occupants  out,  who  'proved  to  be  a  widow  lady 
and  two  daughters.  I  inquired  how  the  horse  came 
to  be  killed  in  her  yard.  At  first  she  refused  to  tell. 
By  threatening  to  burn  her  house,  I  succeeded  in 
drawing  out  the  information  that  a  Federal  soldier 
had  been  there  but  a  few  minutes,  when  a  Confeder- 
ate colonel,  an  adjutant,  and  a  servant  rode  into  the 
yard  ;  the  servant  was  mounted  on  a  mule.  The 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  323 

Federal  soldier,  seeing  them,  rushed  out  of  the  house 
and  fired  his  piece  at  the  adjutant,  and  then  rushed  at 
the  colonel  with  his  bayonet.  The  shot  missed  the  adju- 
tant and  killed  his  horse.  The  colonel  shot  the  soldier 
in  the  right  arm  and  disabled  him.  The  adjutant  left 
the  servant  to  shift  for  himself,  mounted  the  mule 
and  rode  off  with  the  colonel  toward  Pearl  Eiver. 
They  hurried  their  prisoner  off  as  fast  as  he  could  go, 
without  giving  him  time  to  tie  up  his  wound.  Hav- 
ing learned  this,  I  said,  "  Come  on,  boys !  we  can 
outrun  a  mule,  and  perhaps  we  can  catch  them. 
Away  we  went,  under  full  spur.  A  chase  of  a  little 
over  two  miles  brought  us  in  sight  of  a  dwelling- 
house,  where,  by  the  roadside,  was  hitched  a  horse 
and  a  mule,  and  sitting  upon  the  porch  was  a  Federal 
soldier. 

The  colonel  and  adjutant  had  entered  the  house 
and  called  for  a  snack.  The  man  of  the  house  re- 
plied, "  Really,  Colonel,  I  should  like  to  get  you 
something  to  eat,  but  I  am  afraid  the  Yankees  will 
be  upon  you  before  my  servants  can  get  it  ready." 

"No  they  won't,  they  are  afraid  of  me.  The  cow- 
ardly rascals  dasn't  follow  me  !  I've  got  one  of  them 
now  ;  if  they  come  I'll  get  some  more." 

The  soldier,  seeing  us  coining,  and  having  heard 
the  conversation,  said  :  "  The  Colonel  is  a  brave  man, 
indeed  ;  but,  by  the  looks  of  things  out  here,  he  is 
gone  up.  Hearing  that,  they  made  a  rush  for  their 
animals,  and  we  fired  a  volley  from  our  revolvers, 
which  killed  the  adjutant  instantly.  We  emptied  our 
revolvers  at  the  colonel  ;  but  in  the  excitement  of  the 


324  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

occasion  every  shot  missed,  and  he  succeeded  in 
mounting  his  horse  and  starting  off  toward  the  river. 
By  the  time  he  was  in  his  saddle,  I  was  within  twen- 
ty feet  of  him.  The  chase  was  a  desperate  one.  The 
colonel,  at  intervals  of  a  few  rods,  would  let  drive  a 
back-handed  shot  toward  me,  until  he  had  emptied 
his  piece.  My  horse  would  lay  back  his  ears  and 
open  his  mouth,  and  spring  forward  with  all  his  force, 
as  if  to  catch  hold  of  the  colonel's  horse  with  his 
teeth.  A  mile  and  a  half  brought  us  to  the  river.  I 
had  gained  at  least  ten  feet.  The  colonel's  horse 
splashed  into  the  water,  and  mine  gave  a  leap  and 
came  nearly  up,  and  then  outswam  his,  till  I  came 
near  enough  to  strike  the  colonel  on  the  back  of  the  head 
with  the  butt  of  my  revolver,  which  considerably 
stunned  him,  and  enabled  me  to  get  his  horse  by  the 
bridle. 

" Surrender,"  said  I,  "or  I'll  kill  you !" 

"  Don't  strike  me  again,  I'm  your  prisoner,"  said 
the  colonel. 

"Bring  him  out,"  shouted  the  boys,  who,  by  this 
time  had  come  up. 

We  conducted  the  prisoner  back  to  the  house, 
where  we  found  the  soldier,  still  bleeding  and  very 
weak  from  the  loss  of  blood.  He  belonged  to  the 
32d  Ohio  Infantry.  He  said  that  he  had  asked  the 
woman  of  the  house  for  a  rag  with  which  to  tie  up 
his  wound,  which  she  refused  to  give  him,  adding,  "I 
hope  you  will  bleed  to  death."  We  dressed  the 
wound  as  well  as  we  could,  and  then  took  care  of  the 
woman's  rags.  We  then  carried  the  soldier  to  his 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  325 

regiment,  and   the  colonel  to  General  McPherson's 
headquarters. 

After  crossing  Pearl  Biver,  very  little  occurred  of 
interest  in  my  individual  experience  during  the 
march  back  to  Yicksburg.  A  great  many  forage 
parties  and  straggling  soldiers  were  gobbled  up  by 
the  enemy  during  the  raid ;  but,  though  I  was  out 
with  men  under  my  charge  nearly  every  day,  I 
never  lost  a  man  during  the  entire  campaign,  which 
lasted  thirty  days.  On  the  march  from  Canton  to 
Yicksburg  the  troops  were  not  allowed  to  destroy 
property.  The  raid  was  a  demonstration  of  the  fea- 
sibility of  the  plan  of  campaigning  which  was  after- 
ward inaugurated  by  General  Sherman  in  the  State 
of  Georgia. 


326  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Starts  home  on  veteran  furlough— Suspected  of  being  a  rebel  spy— Com- 
missioned officer  serves  him  at  the  table — Kind  attentions  at  home — Si- 
lences an  old  maid — Returns  to  the  front — Shot  at  twenty-one  times — 
The  remedy — A  Union  lady — The  dwarf  weaver — The  weaver  be- 
headed— Goes  into  Marietta  as  a  spy — Confederate  side  of  the  lines — Es- 
cape from  the  rebs— General  McPherson's  death— Hard  fighting. 

EARLY  in  March,  1864,  we  left  Vicksburg  for  home 
on  a  veteran  furlough.  At  Memphis  we  changed 
from  the  steamer  Continental  to  a  Memphis  and  Cin- 
cinnati packet.  General  Breman  took  passage  with 
us  as  far  as  Cairo,  111.,  and,  being  the  senior  officer  in 
rank  on  board,  was  in  command  of  the  troops.  It  is 
customary,  when  troops  are  on  board  transports,  to 
have  a  guard  and  an  officer  of  the  day,  whose  duty  it 
is  to  preserve  order,  subject  to  the  instructions  of  the 
commanding  officer. 

The  next  morning  after  we  left  Memphis,  Captain 
Ayres,  of  the  20th  Ohio  Infantry,  was  the  officer  of 
the  day.  On  reporting  to  General  Breman  for  in- 
structions, he  was  informed  that  there  was  a  "  suspi- 
cious character"  on  board.  He  pointed  me  out  to  the 
captain,  and  told  him  that  I  came  on  board  at  Mem- 
phis, and  that,  in  all  probability,  I  was  either  a  rebel 
spy  or  an  incendiary,  watching  an  opportunity  to 
burn  up  the  boat.  He  instructed  the  captain  to  watch 
me,  and  if  my  actions  confirmed  his  suspicions,  to  ar- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  327 

rest  me  and  place  me  under  guard.  The  captain  was 
personally  acquainted  with  me,  but  kept  the  fact  to 
himself.  As  soon  as  an  opportunity  offered,  the  cap- 
tain told  me  what  the  general  had  said ;  so  I  resolved 
to  see  how  he  would  act  when  he  found  out  who  I 
was.  Walking  back  to  the  after-cabin,  I  found  Gen- 
eral Force  and  General  Breman  engaged  in  reading. 
Said  I  to  the  latter,  saluting  him,  "  General  Breman, 
you  don't  know  me,  do  you?" 

"Not  that  I  know  of." 

"You  don't  remember  of  having  me  arrested  in 
Tennessee  as  a  rebel  spy  ?" 

"  That's  Mr.  Buggies,  General,"  said  General 
Force  ;  "  he's  a  useful  man.  He's  a  valuable  scout." 

"Ah!"  said  Breman,  remembering  his  instructions 
to  the  officer  of  the  day,  and  coloring  slightly,  "  I 
didn't  know  what  to  make  of  you.  I  did  suspect  your 
loyalty." 

"I'm  loyal  enough,  but  I  am  among  the  rebs  so 
much  that  I  sometimes  act  like  one."  The  officer  of 
the  day  was  saved  the  necessity  of  placing  me  under 
arrest. 

Before  reaching  Cincinnati,  the  boat  supplies  be- 
came so  nearly  exhausted  that  it  became  necessary 
to  issue  an  order  forbidding  any  but  commissioned 
officers  and  their  attaches  being  furnished  with  meals 
b}r  the  boat.  There  were  so  many  to  eat  that  it  gen- 
erally required  the  table  to  be  set  three  times  before 
all  would  be  supplied.  The  first  time  the  table  was 
set  after  the  order  was  issued,  I  called  at  the  clerk's 
office  to  buy  a  ticket  for  dinner  for  myself  and  a 


328  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

friend,  and  was  refused  on  the  plea  that  the  order  for- 
bid furnishing  meals  to  enlisted  men.  My  friend  and 
I  then  seated  ourselves  at  the  table,  but  were  ordered 
away  by  the  steward.  On  our  refusing  to  go,  he  re- 
ported us  to  the  clerk,  who  came  and  ordered  us 
away.  I  told  him  that  we  were  entitled  to  get  our 
meals  there,  and  if  he  couldn't  furnish  us  a  waiter, 
I'd  get  a  commissioned  officer  to  wait  on  us.  I  then 
ordered  a  waiter  to  serve  us,  but  the  clerk  counter- 
manded it.  Just  then  Captain  Bostwick,  of  the  20th 
Ohio  Infantry,  was  passing  by  us. 

"Here,  Captain,"  said  I,  "these  men  have  got 
above  their  business.  They  won't  wait  on  us  because 
we  ha'n't  got  on  shoulder-straps.  Can't  you  wait  on 
a  poor  soldier  ? " 

'*  Certainly,  gentlemen  ;  what  will  you  have,  roast 
beef,  or  boiled  ham  ?  " 

"Some  of  the  beef,  if  you  please,  Captain." 

Away  went  the  Captain  with  our  plates.  General 
Force,  having  heard  our  words,  now  made  his  ap- 
pearance. "  General,"  said  I,  "this  man  and  I  fare 
rather  slim  ;  they  won't  give  us  any  thing  to  eat  on 
this  boat  unless  we  have  a  man  with  shoulder-straps 
to  wait  upon  us." 

"Clerk, "said  the  General,  "let  these  men  have 
what  they  want  to  eat.  That  man  there  (pointing 
to  my  friend)  is  a  commissioned  officer,  and  the 
other  man  is  a  great  deal  more  deserving  of  his  meals 
than  I  am." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  gentlemen,"  said  the  clerk. 

"  Waiter,  serve  these  men." 


SCOUT   AXD   SPY.  329 

"Nevermind  the  waiter,  clerk.  We  don't  want 
any  of  your  trash  around  us  ;  we  have  commissioned 
officers  to  serve  us"  The  Captain  served  us  till  we 
had  finished  our  meal,  very  much  to  the  amusement 
of  those  looking  on. 

On  my  arrival  in  Ohio,  I  found  that  my  reputation 
as  a  scout  and  spy  had  preceded  me,  and  where- 
ever  I  went  I  could  scarcely  make  my  appearance  on 
the  street  without  having  a  crowd  gather  around  me, 
eager  to  hear  my  experience  in  the  scout  service.  I 
was  pressed  with  invitations  to  call  upon  people  whom 
I  had  never  seen  or  heard  of  before.  Circumstances, 
beyond  my  control,  rendered  my  position  an  embar- 
rassing one.  We  were  to  have  been  paid  our  bounty, 
back  pay,  and  veteran  bounty  at  Columbus,  0.,  but, 
by  the  carelessness  of  the  commissary  of  musters  that 
mustered  me,  my  veteran  papers  were  left  at  Vicks- 
burg,  so  that  I  drew  no  pay,  and,  consequently,  my 
clothes  were  ragged  and  my  pocket  empty.  Embar- 
rassing as  this  was  to  me,  it  seemed  to  have  very 
little  influence  with  others,  and  ladies  in  silk  would 
listen  with  intense  interest  to  the  narratives  of  the 
ragged  soldier. 

I  am  proud  that  I  live  in  a  country  where  patri- 
otism, valor,  and  services  rendered  to  the  Govern- 
ment, are  more  highly  appreciated  than  dress  or  a 
lavish  expenditure  of  money.  My  war-worn  clothes 
did  not  diminish  the  number  of  my  friends  and  ad- 
mirers, otherwise  my  veteran  visit  would  have  been 
an  unhappy  one. 

In  the  course  of  my  visiting,  I  spent  an  evening  at  a 


330  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

farm-house,  where  was  boarding  the  school-mistress 
of  the  district.  She  was  a  lady  aged  forty-two  years 
— my  age  exactly — and  would  usually  be  called  an 
"old  maid."  Her  tongue  was  as  flexible  as  mine: 
indeed,  I  found  it  hard  to  get  the  start  of  her.  At 
first,  we  were  shy  of  each  other ;  she  was  afraid  of 
soiling  her  silk,  and  I  was  afraid  to  show  my  rags. 

Our  seats  were  at  opposite  sides  of  the  room. 
Gradually,  however,  our  interest  in  each  other 's 
stories  increased,  and  our  distance  apart  as  gradually 
diminished,  until,  finally,  we  were  sitting  side  by  side, 
and  became  the  centre  of  attraction  for  the  evening 
by  our  narratives,  alternately  told — hers  of  school- 
teaching  experience  and  mine  of  experience  in  the 
scout  service.  At  last  she  said:  "Mr.  Ruggles,  I 
should  like  to  know  how  you  learned  to  practise  the 
art  of  deception,  as  you  did,  among  the  Southern 
people.  They  are  not  all  fools,  are  they?" 

"No,  ma'am,  they  are  not  all  fools,"  but  they 
acted  foolish  when  they  rebelled. 

"Really,  then,  I  should  like  to  know  how  you 
learned  it." 

"  I'll  tell  you,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  do  so." 

"  I  should  like  to  know." 

"  I  learned  it  in  paying  my  respects  to  old  maids" 

"There !  there !  that  will  do  /"  and  away  she  went  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  much  to  the  amusement  of 
the  company  present.  For  the  remainder  of  the  eve- 
ning I  had  to  keep  at  a  respectable  distance  from  her. 

Our  veteran  furloughs  having  expired,  we  reported 
to  General  Leggett,  at  Cairo,  Illinois,  who  sent  me  to 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  331 

Clifton,  Tennessee,  to  report  to  General  M.  F.  Force 
for  duty.  He  sent  me  to  Pulaski,  a  distance  of  sixty- 
two  miles,  with  dispatches.  A  squad  of  twenty  men, 
under  command  of  a  lieutenant  from  a  battalion  of 
Tennessee  cavalry,  was  sent  with  me  as  an  escort. 

The  entire  battalion  of  cavalry — in  all,  four  hundred 
men — had  been  in  the  Confederate  service.  They 
were  captured  at  the  taking  of  Fort  Donelson,  and 
had  been  released  by  the  Federal  authorities,  and  had 
enlisted  in  the  Federal  service,  They  had  been  run- 
ning the  courier  line  to  Pulaski,  but  had  never  got 
through  with  their  dispatches.  The  men  of  the  bat- 
talion lived  in  the  country  tying  between  Clifton  and 
Pulaski. 

Soon  after  starting  out  from  Clifton,  my  cavalry 
escort  began  to  drop  off,  one  at  a  time,  to  visit  their 
homes,  and  when  I  arrived  at  Pulaski  I  had  but  two 
of  my  escort  with  me — one  was  the  lieutenant  and 
the  other  a  sergeant,  I  went  through  without  being 
molested.. 

I  returned  to  Clifton  with  dispatches  alone,  and 
without  difficulty.  Two  days  after  I  was  sent 
back  again  alone.  I  always  passed  over  the  most 
dangerous  part  of  the  route  in  the  night.  I  went 
through  undisturbed,  but  on  my  return  I  was  shot  at 
twenty-one  times.  At  Lawrencburg  I  was  fired  at 
from  the  dwelling-houses,  as  I  passed  through  the  place, 
without  any  challenge  to  halt.  One  man  was  stand- 
ing on  his  porch,  with  his  gun  in  his  hand,  evidently 
watching  for  me  to  come,  and  fired  at  me  as  I 
passed. 

Four  miles  from    Lawrence   I   came   to    several 


332  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

cotton-factories ;  the  locality  bore  the  reputation  of 
being  loyal.  There  I  was  fired  at  both  from  the 
factories  and  dwelling-houses.  I  went  through  both 
of  these  places  under  full  spur.  The  last  shot  that  was 
fired  at  me  was  by  a  man  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  road,  who  challenged  me  to  halt,  and  at  the  same 
time  brought  his  piece  to  an  aim.  Instead  of  halting, 
I  put  spurs  to  my  horse  and  dashed  by.  I  was  not 
more  than  six  feet  from  him  when  he  fired,  but,  in  the 
excitement  of  the  moment,  his  shot  missed  me,  and  I 
passed  on  unharmed.  I  can  assure  the  reader,  from 
actual  experience,  that  it  is  no  very  pleasant  thing  to  be 
a  mark  for  people  to  shoot  at.  I  am  full}'  convinced 
that  it  was  citizens  that  fired  at  me,  and  that  they 
had  found  out,  through  the  cavalry  that  I  have  men- 
tioned, that  I  was  a  bearer  of  dispatches,  and  were 
watching  for  me. 

I  delivered  my  dispatches  to  General  Force,  and 
told  him  that  I  was  afraid  to  run  the  line  alone. 
He  gave  me  an  order  for  twenty-one  men,  with  the 
privilege  of  selecting  men  of  my  choice.  Two  days 
after,  I  again  started  to  Pulaski,  with  my  escort,  who 
were  infantry  soldiers,  mounted.  Previous  to  start- 
ing, I  told  General  Sherman  my  plan  of  operation,  to 
which  he  said,  "Very  well."  I  called  at  every  house 
along  the  entire  route.  If  the  people  were  in  bed,  I 
made  them  get  up,  and  said  to  them,  "/  am  running 
a  courier  line  from  Clifton  to  Pulaski,  and  you  good, 
loyal  people  have  fired  at  me  twenty -one  times.  If  I  am 
ever  fired  at  again,  ivhether  lam  kitted  or  not,  every  man, 
within  four  miles  of  this  road,  on  either  side,  shall  be 
shot,  and  your  houses  burnt." 


•     - 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  333 

All  of  them  claimed  to  be  innocent,  and  said  they 
were  quiet,  peacably-disposed  citizens.  I  went 
through  and  back  with  my  escort  without  being 
molested,  and  for  three  weeks  after,  I  ran  the  line 
alone,  without  being  disturbed. 

At  the  expiration  of  three  weeks,  General  Leggett 
arrived  at  Clifton  with  the  3d  Division  of  the  17th 
Army  corps,  bringing  with  his  command  twenty-two 
hundred  head  of  cattle  for  beef.  The  troops  now 
prepared  to  march  across  to  Georgia,  to  increase  the 
force  operating  under  General  Sherman  for  the  cap- 
ture of  Atlanta. 

Preparatory  to  the  marching  of  the  troops,  General 
Force  sent  me  out  on  the  road  to  Florence,  to  ascer- 
tain the  locality  of  Roddy's  cavalry — which  was 
known  to  be  hovering  around — to  prevent  any  at- 
tempt it  might  make  to  stampede  the  cattle.  I 
found  out  that  the  cavalry,  4,000  strong,  was  at 
Florence,  Ala.j  and  that  Col.  Bill  Johnson  commanded 
900  of  Roddy's  choicest  men,  and  that  he — Roddy — 
had  heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  cattle,  and  had 
ordered  Johnson  to  be  on  the  alert  for  an  opportu- 
nity to  stampede  them.  This  I  learned  from  citizens 
who  seemed  to  be  well  informed  of  the  intended 
movements  of  both  forces.  Having  satisfied  myself 
that  the  information  was  reliable,  I  did  not  go  into 
Florence,  but  crossed  over  to  the  Nashville  and 
Florence  military  road,  which  I  came  to  seven  miles 
from  the  latter  place.  I  then  went  toward  Law- 
renceburg,  on  my  return  to  my  command.  Twelve 
miles  from  where  I  came  into  the  road,  I  halted  at 


334  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

a  dwelling-house,  and  said  to  the  man  of  the  house, 
"Can  I  get  my  horse  fed,  and  some  supper  here?" 

"  Where  do  you  belong?" 

"  I  belong  to  Bill  Johnson's  cavalry,  and  I'm  going 
down  to  look  up  the  Yankee  beef-cattle." 

"Yes,  yes;  come  in.  The  servant  will  feed  your 
horse.  I  hope  you'll  succeed  in  finding  the  cattle." 

The  servants  were  already  engaged  in  preparing 
supper  for  the  family.  Just  before  supper  was  an- 
nounced, a  daughter  of  the  planter  came  in.  I  should 
judge  that  she  was  about  sixteen  years  old. 

"Mother,"  said  she,  "what  are  you  doing  with 
that  man  here  ?" 

"  He 's  one  of  Johnson's  men,  and  he 's  going 
down  to  hunt  up  the  Yankee  beef-cattle,"  was  the 
reply. 

"Well,  you  had  better  watch  him,  or  he'll  steal 
something  before  he  leaves." 

"Behave  yourself,  and  not  insult  the  man  in  that 
way,"  said  the  mother. 

"  I  do  behave.  He  ought  to  be  insulted.  You 
are  going  down  to  hunt  up  the  Yankees,  are  you?" 
she  continued,  addressing  me.  "You  are  a  pretty 
object  to  be  engaged  in  hunting  up  Yankees.  The 
sight  of  one  pair  of  blue  breeches  would  make  six  such 
monuments  of  God's  sparing  mercy  as  you  are  get  up 
and  leave  the  ground" 

At  the  table  the  impudent  thing  would  watch  me, 
and  whenever  she  could  get  my  eye  she  would  make 
faces  at  me,  which  she  carried  to  such  an  extreme 
that  her  mother  slapped  her  ears. 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  335 

Whether  the  whole  family  were  loyal,  or  only  the 
daughter,  or  whether  the  daughter  was  secesh,  and 
tried  only  to  draw  out  my  true  character,  the  reader 
alone  must  judge ;  my  duties  were  such  that  T  dare 
not  trust  any  of  them. 

I  reached  Clifton  without  being  disturbed. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  troops  to  within  two  miles 
of  Lawrenceburg,  I  was  sent  ahead  to  that  place, 
with  instructions  to  go  out  on  the  military  road 
toward  Florence,  and  see  if  Johnson  was  coming.  I 
told  the  adjutant-general  that  I  was  afraid  to  go  on 
that  road  without  an  escort,  on  account  of  bush- 
whackers. He  gave  me  an  order  for  the  men  out 
of  the  llth  Illinois  Cavalry.  When  we  had  gone 
three  miles  on  the  military  road,  we  came  suddenly 
upon  a  dwarfish-looking  man,  mounted  on  a  horse, 
who  was  wonderfully  frightened  at  our  unexpected 
meeting. 

"  How  far  have  you  come  on  this  road?"  I  inquired 
of  him. 

"  I  have  come  from  Florence." 

"  Did  you  see  any  of  Colonel  Bill  Johnson's  cavalry 
on  the  road  ?" 

'•  No,  sir ;  there  is  no  cavalry  on  the  road.  Roddy's 
cavalry  is  at  Florence  ;  there  is  none  this  side  of 
there." 

"Look  here,  you  are  lying  to  me,"  I  said,  eyeing 
him  closely.  "A'n't  there  any  cavalry  camped  at 
Shoal  Creek?" 

"  No,  sir  ;  if  there  is  I  did  not  see  them." 

"  You  are  lying  to  me  sure.     Johnson's  cavalry  is  at 


336  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

Shoal  Creek,  not  more  than  three  miles  from  here, 
and  you  could  not  pass  without  seeing  them.  You 
belong  to  the  cavalry,  and  have  been  sent  out  to  see 
if  the  Yankees  are  coming  with  the  cattle." 

"  No,  indeed,  I  don't  belong  to  them,"  he  persisted ; 
"  I  am  no  soldier,  and  did  not  see  any  soldiers  along 
the  road.  I  am  a  weaver  by  trade,  and  do  not  belong 
to  the  army." 

"  Well,  go  with  us  ;  we'll  find  out  whether  you  are 
a  soldier  or  not."  His  fright  now  turned  into  terror. 
We  went  about  a  mile,  when  we  met  Johnson's  cavalry 
coming  up,  and  were  obliged  to  turn  back.  As  we 
turned,  one  of  the  llth  Illinois  cavalry,  with  a  single 
stroke  of  his  saber,  severed  the  weaver's  head  from  his 
body,  which  struck  the  ground  before  his  body  began 
to  fall,  and  we  left  him  for  his  comrades  to  take  care 
of.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  was  a  scout  for  Johnson, 
and  that  he  calculated  his  being  a  dwarf  would  clear 
all  suspicion  of  his  belonging  to  the  army. 

'  I  reported  the  approach  of  Johnson  to  General 
Leggett,  who  threw  out  a  brigade  of  infantry  in  line 
of  battle,  to  prevent  an  attack  upon  the  cattle. 

Johnson  formed  his  lines  of  attack,  and  moved  up 
till  he  saw  the  infantry,  then  fell  back  and  disap- 
peared. 

At  Huntsville,  Alabama,  the  ague  came  on  me  so 
bad  that  I  was  unable  for  duty.  Leaving  my  horse 
with  a  scout  that  had  run  with  me  considerably,  I 
went  to  the  hospital.  I  did  not  like  the  looks  of 
things  there,  so  I  was  sent  to  Chattanooga,  where  I 
remained  four  days,  at  the  end  of  which  time  I  felt  a 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  337 

little  better,  and  resolved  to  go  back  to  the  front. 
Hospital  discipline  and  I  could  not  agree.  I  went  to 
a  member  of  General  MePherson's  staff  and  told  him 
what  I  wanted,  and  he  gave  me  a  pass  to  report  to 
General  Sherman,  wherever  I  could  find  him.  I  came 
up  with  him  just  at  the  opening  of  the  Buzzard's 
Boost  fight,  in  which  I  took  a  part.  From  there  I 
was  with  the  advanced  guards  until  we  came  to 
Resaca,  at  which  place  I  assisted,  on  the  right  flank, 
in  fighting  Wheeler's  cavalry.  I  kept  along  with  the 
advance  of  the  army  until  we  arrived  at  Kingston, 
where  General  Leggett's  command  formed  a  junction 
with  us.  There  I  found  my  horse.  From  there  I  had 
nothing  of  particular  interest  to  do  until  the  rebs 
were  driven  to  the  Kenesaw  Mountain. 

At  that  place  General  McPherson  sent  for  me,  and 
asked  me  if  I  thought  I  could  go  into  Marietta  and 
get  back  again.  I  told  him  I  could,  if  allowed  to 
take  my  own  plans  to  accomplish  it,  which  he  said 
I  might  do.  He  told  me  to  go  in  and  find  out 
whether  the  battery  that  commands  the  approach 
along  the  railroad  is  a  masked  one,  and  count  the 
guns  ;  see  whether  any  State  militia  were  there,  and 
whether  any  part  of  the  line  was  held  by  them,  and 
whether  they  were  mixed  in  with  other  troops.  I 
was  to  examine  the  enemy's  first  line  of  works,  and 
see  how  far  they  extended  ;  and  how  deep  the  ditches 
were,  and  whether  I  thought  it  practicable  to  carry 
them  by  assault.  He  gave  me  fifty  dollars  in  green- 
backs to  defray  my  expenses,  and  sent  me  to  Major- 
General  Logan  for  a  Confederate  uniform  and  some 

'5 


338  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

Confederate  money.  Thus  equipped,  I  started  out 
the  next  day  on  horseback.  I  passed  along  our  lines 
to  the  extreme  left,  to  General  Garrard's  headquar- 
ters, where  I  left  my  papers,  and  procured  a  pass 
through  the  lines.  I  passed  the  videttes  about  noon, 
and  proceeded  on  in  an  easterly  direction  until  I 
reached  Canton,  sixteen  miles  from  General  McPher- 
soirs  headquarters.  There  I  staid  all  night.  In  the 
morning  I  resumed  my  journey,  on  a  road  leading 
south,  and  halted  for  the  night  at  a  small  village  on 
the  Chattahoochee  Eiver,  called  Eoswell  Factories, 
twenty-eight  miles  from  Canton.  The  next  morning 
a  division  of  South  Carolina  cavalry  came  along  from 
the  east,  just  as  I  was  ready  to  start  out.  I  fell  in 
and  attached  myself  to  company  A,  of  the  1st  South 
Carolina,  and  represented  myself  as  belonging  to  the 
llth  Texas  Cavalry — which  I  knew  was  in  our  front 
when  I  started  out— going  to  join  my  command.  The 
explanation  proved  satisfactory,  and  I  kept  along 
with  them  till  we  reached  Marietta,  a  distance  from 
Roswell  Factories  of  eighteen  miles.  Then  I  left 
them,  under  pretence  of  going  to  my  own  regiment, 
and  went  north  along  the  railroad,  until  I  came  to 
the  battery  that  I  was  directed  to  visit.  It  contained 
twelve  large  guns,  well  masked.  I  then  turned  to 
the  right,  and  rode  along  the  first  line  of  intrench- 
ments.  About  eighty  rods  from  the  masked  battery 
I  found  a  six-gun  battery  of  small  guns,  and  about 
eighty  rods  further  on  was  another  six-gun  battery 
of  small  guns. 

About  midway  between  the  two  six-gun  batteries, 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  339 

I  came  upon  a  small  squad  of  militia  that  had  been 
digging  a  spur  from  the  main  ditch  for  a  rifle-pit. 
One  of  the  party  stepped  out  of  a  pit  that  he  had  just 
completed,  and  for  a  moment  contemplated  the  result 
of  his  labor,  and  then  said :  Nary  a  Yankee  is  gwine 
to  come,  up  thar ;  thar  is  whar  I'll  stay,  and  thar  is 
whar  I'll  die/"  When  we  came  in  possession  of  the 
place,  however,  we  found  no  dead  bodies  "thar" 

Down  under  the  hill  from  the  six-gun  batteries, 
toward  Marietta,  I  found  a  large  force  of  state  militia, 
who  were  holding  the  right  of  the  rebel  lines  by 
themselves.  There  was  nothing  military  in  their 
appearance.  Their  camp  was  without  regularity,  and 
filthy  in  the  extreme.  Many  of  them  had  their 
families  with  them,  and  some  of  them  had  cows  tied  to 
to  their  wagons.  The  dog  and  cat  were  not  left  be- 
hind. The  tongues  of  their  wagons  usually  pointed 
outward,  and  boards  laid  across  from  one  wagon- 
tongue  to  another  served  them  as  tables.  Decrepit 
old  men  and  little  boys,  women  and  babies,  white 
and  black,  were  there.  The  various  kinds  and  cal- 
ibers of  small-arms  were  as  numerous  and  different  as 
the  individuals  that  carried  them. 

The  ditches  of  the  first  line  I  found  to  be  four  feet 
deep  and  six  wide.  A  little  to  the  right  and  front  of 
the  militia,  I  found  a  brigade  of  Texas  cavalry, 
composed,  in  part,  of  the  llth  and  3d  Texas  regiments; 
two  other  Texas  regiments  made  up  the  brigade.  I 
went  to  the  orderly  sergeant  of  company  A,  of  the 
llth  Texas,  and  told  him  that  I  belonged  to  company 
A  of  the  1st  South  Carolina  Cavalry,  and  that  my 


340  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

regiment  had  just  coine  in  that  day,  and  that  I  had 
got  separated  from  my  command,  and  I  would  like  to 
stay  with  him  overnight,  and  then  hunt  up  my 
regiment  in  the  morning.  He  went  to  the  Colonel 
and  asked  permission  to  keep  me,  which  was  granted. 

The  colonel  of  the  llth  Texas  was  in  command  of 
the  brigade. 

In  the  morning  the  brigade  prepared  to  make  a 
demonstration  upon  General  "Wilder's  command ;  so  I 
told  the  orderly  that  I  would  go  along  and  see  the  fun. 

The  command  moved  out  a  short  distance  and  then 
halted.  Just  then  an  orderly  rode  up  and  handed 
the  colonel  a  dispatch,  which,  when  he  had  read,  he 
sent  the  whole  command  back  to  camp  except  the 
company  I  was  with  ;  with  that  he  said  he  would  go 
out  and  capture  a  Yankee  vedette.  We  rode  until 
we  came  to  a  narrow  ridge  of  ground.  As  we  were 
rising  this,  and  just  as  we  had  reached  its  summit,  we 
unexpectedly  received  five  shots  from  Federal 
vedettes,  which  killed  the  colonel  and  two  pri- 
vates. 

The  command  immediately  broke  to  the  rear  and 
fled  toward  camp.  I  broke  back  with  them  until  we 
reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  when  I  turned  to  my  right, 
and  went  up  the  hollow,  I  should  judge  about  three 
hundred  yards,  and  again  ascended  the  ridge,  and 
crossed  to  a  little  brook  that  flowed  along  the  base  of 
the  hill,  and  crossed  the  road  between  the  vedettes 
and  where  the  colonel  was  killed.  A  little  below 
me,  in  the  brook,  was  a  Federal  soldier,  engaged  in 
washing  his  face.  His  hat  and  gun  were  lying  upon 


SCOUT    AND    SPY.  341 

the  bank.  He  was  but  a  mere  boy.  Seeing  me 
approach,  he  seized  his  gun,  cocked  it,  and  raised  it 
to  his  face,  when  I  called  to  him,  "  Hold  on,  my  little 
man,  I  am  a  Federal  soldier ;  don't  shoot  me !  " 

"Well,  then,  come  in  out  of  the  wet!  Don't  you 
try  to  get  away  ;  if  you  do  I'll  lore  you ! " 

The  little  fellow  kept  his  piece  levelled  at  me  until 
I  came  up,  and  then  marched  me  away  to  the  reserve. 
He  was  so  elated  with  his  capture  that  he  forgot  his 
hat,  and  marched  me  in  without  it. 

From  the  reserve  I  was  taken  to  General  Wilder's 
headquarters,  and  then  to  Colonel  Miller's,  where  my 
horse  was  taken  from  me.  From  there  I  was  taken 
to  the  corral  of  rebel  prisoners,  near  General 
Garrard's  headquarters,  and  turned  in.  I  sat  down 
upon  a  block  of  wood,  near  the  entrance  to  the 
inclosure,  and  leaned  my  head  upon  my  hands.  I 
had  been  there  but  a  moment,  when  a  prisoner, 
discovering  that  I  was  a  fresh  arrival,  stepped  up  and 
said,  "To  what  command  do  you  belong?" 

" Clear  out,  and  don't  bother  me,"  I  replied  ;  "I'm 
mad  now." 

The  prisoners,  seeing  that  I  was  not  in  a  talking 
mood,  left  me  to  myself.  Shortly  after,  the  Adjutant- 
General  came  out  and  discovered  me  sitting  there. 
I  heard  him  call  the  sergeant  of  the  guard,  who 
shortly  came  to  the  entrance  and  said,  ' '  Halloa,  there, 
you  long-haired  fellow !  you  are  wanted  here."  He 
took  me  to  headquarters,  where  I  received  the 
papers  that  I  had  left  there,  and  an  order  for  my 
horse  and  a  pass  to  General  McPherson's  head- 

' 


342  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

quarters,  where  I  arrived  after  an  absence  of  five 
days  and  a  half. 

The  information  that  I,  gathered  showed  that  the 
enemy's  right  was  the  most  advantageous  point  for 
us  to  attack ;  so  much  so,  that  it  was  thought  by  good 
judges  that  a  single  army  corps  could  easily  have 
entered  Marietta.  General  Sherman,  however,  was 
not  left  to  choose  his  place  of  attack,  for  the  next 
morning  the  enemy  made  a  furious  assault  upon  our 
right,  against  General  Hooker's  command.  The  on- 
slaught was  impetuous  and  the  pressure  tremendous, 
but  was  heroically  resisted.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as 
if  Hooker's  entire  command  would  be  swept  away 
by  the  masses  that  were  hurled  against  it.  It  was 
enough,  however,  that  "Fighting  Joe"  was  there  to 
animate  his  troops  by  his  noble  bearing. 

The  action  was  sustained  in  all  its  fury,  and  grad- 
ually spread  from  right  to  left,  until  the  whole  line 
was  engaged,  and  lasted  until,  overpowered  by  the 
boys  in  blue,  the  enemy  broke  and  fled,  resulting  in 
a  complete  victory  to  the  Federal  arms,  with  the  pos- 
session of  Kenesaw  Mountain  and  Marietta. 

The  next  day,  at  my  request,  General  McPherson 
and  staff,  accompanied  by  General  Leggett,  went  with 
me  to  see  the  places  that  I  had  described  in  my  re- 
port. After  we  had  visited  them,  General  McPher- 
son said  that  he  was  convinced  that  I  had  reported 
correctly.  I  mention  this,  because  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon for  spies  to  go  out,  and,  on  their  return,  report 
that  which  they  know  nothing  about.  It  was  a  satis- 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  343 

faction  for  me  to  know  that  lie  was  satisfied  that  I  had 
visited  the  places  that  I  had  described. 

General  Sherman  continued  to  press  the  enemy 
toward  Atlanta,  and  his  victory  at  Kenesaw  Mountain 
was  followed  by  an  advance  of  his  lines  to  within 
two  miles  of  that  place,  and  extending  around  three 
sides  of  it. 

The  20th  day  of  July,  General  Hood's  supersedure 
of  General  Johnston  in  the  command  of  the  Confed- 
erate army  was  inaugurated  by  a  furious  attack  upon 
the  4th  and  14th  corps,  comprising  General  Sher- 
man's centre.  Very  much  to  our  satisfaction,  General 
Johnston's  slow-retreating  process  of  campaign  was 
changed  to  one  of  rapid  evolutions  and  bold,  des- 
perate dashes.  Our  greatest  difficulty  had  been  to 
get  the  enemy  to  fight.  This  we  now  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  doing.  The  hardy  veterans  of  the  North- 
west received  the  attack  with  coolness  and  determina- 
tion, and,  though  the  enemy  came  in  massed  columns, 
they  stood  their  ground,  dealing  out  death  and  de- 
struction, until  Hood  was  glad  to  withdraw,  leaving 
his  dead  arid  wounded  in  our  hands. 

On  the  morning  of  July  22d,  General  McPherson 
was  informed,  by  a  member  of  his  staff,  a  picket  offi- 
cer, that  he  had  heard,  during  the  night,  a  noise  like 
the  moving  of  artillery,'  which  he  surmised  to  be 
the  enemy  evacuating  Atlanta.  General  McPherson 
thought  the  officer  was  mistaken  about  the  evacuation 
of  the  place.  The  noise  of  moving  troops,  he  thought, 
was  probably  a  body  of  rebel  cavalry  that  had  moved 


344  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

out  on  our  left  flank,  which  lay  stretched  along  on  the 
east  side  of  the  place. 

To  clear  up  the  matter,  General  McPherson  told 
me  to  take  my  horse  and  ride  out  to  Decatur,  which 
was  four  miles  distant,  and  from  there  out  on  the 
Stone  Mountain  road,  and  find  out  whether  the  enemy 
was  there.  He  instructed  me  to  go  as  far  as  I  could, 
and  not  get  captured.  If  I  found  the  enemy,  I  was 
to  drop  back  toward  our  lines,  and  feel  along,  at  in- 
tervals, for  the  enemy  toward  our  left.  This  was  on 
the  supposition  that  the  enemy  might  have  a  line  ex- 
tending around  our  left  flank  and  along  its  rear. 

Three-quarters  of  a  mile  out  from  Decatur,  I  came 
upon  five  rebel  soldiers  on  picket.  They  challenged 
me  to  halt,  but  I  had  no  intention  of  halting  there  ; 
so  I  wheeled  about  and  "lit  out."  The  rebs  might 
have  shot  me  as  well  as  not.  I  returned  to  our  lines, 
and  went  out  on  another  road,  and  had  proceeded 
but  about  half  a  mile,  when  I  came  upon  more  rebel 
pickets.  They  did  not  fire  at  me.  I  tried  to  get  out, 
in  all,  at  thirteen  different  places,  and  every  time 
encountered  pickets,  none  of  whom  tried  to  shoot  me 
I  was  well  satisfied  that  the  noise  of  moving  troops, 
heard  in  the  night,  were  infantry  and  artillery  moving 
round  to  our  rear,  intending  to  surprise  us,  and  for 
that  reason  their  pickets  were  forbidden  to  fire  upon 
individuals  or  small  parties. 

I  then  hastened  back  and  reported  to  General 
McPherson  what  I  had  seen.  He  wanted  to  know 
if  I  was  sure  the  pickets  were  infantry,  and  I  told 
him  that  I  was.  He  seemed  to  doubt  the  possibility 


SCOUT  AND   SPY.  345 

of  their  being  infantry.  He  and  his  staff  then  rode 
out  to  our  rear  picket-line,  on  a  road  that  I  had  not 
been  out  on,  and,  waiting  there,  he  sent  me  out  to 
see  if  I  could  find  any  pickets.  I  went  about  forty 
rods,  when  I  came  to  a  dwelling-house,  standing  in 
a  little  opening  in  the  wo6ds  that  lined  either  side 
of  the  road.  It  was  then  about  eleven  o'clock,  A.  M. 
I  had  become  very  thirsty  from  constant  riding  in 
the  hot  sun  since  early  in  the  morning ;  so  I  rode  up 
to  the  door  of  the  house,  and  inquired  of  a  lady  there 
if  she  would  have  the  kindness  to  give  me  a  drink 
of  water.  Said  she,  "  I  have  just  drawn  a  bucket 
of  fresh  water  at  the  well,  back  there,  and  you  can 
have  some  in  welcome  ;  but  I  reckon  you  are  a  Fed- 
eral soldier,  and  if  you  stop  to  get  it,  you  will  get 
killed,  for  a  colonel  and  two  of  our  soldiers  have  just 
this  minute  stepped  away  from  the  well."  Without 
stopping  to  drink,  I  rode  back  into  the  road,  and 
there,  about  seventy-live  yards  further  on,  stood  the 
colonel  and  two  soldiers.  They  did  not  fire  at  me, 
but  the  colonel,  who  had  his  sword  in  his  hand,  gave 
it  a  defiant  flourish,  as  if  to  say,  "You'll  catch  it 
directly."  I  went  back  to  General  McPherson,  and 
reported  what  I  had  found,  who  then  rode  out  with 
me  and  saw  for  himself.  He  said  it  was  about  noon, 
and  he  would  go  back  to  dinner  and  send  out  a  recon- 
noitering  party. 

While  we  were  eating  our  dinner,  a  firing  com- 
menced on  the  picket-line  to  the  rear,  and  in  less 
than  five   minutes  an  entire  division  was   engaged. 
Brigades  of  troops  had  been  stationed  near  the  rear 
15* 


346  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

pickets  as  a  reserve.  It  was  these  troops  that  were 
attacked.  The  troops  known  as  the  "Iowa  Brigade" 
of  the  17th  Army  Corps  were  among  the  reserves. 
Against  this  brigade  were  massed  such  overwhelming 
numbers,  that  it  was  compelled  to  give  way  and  fall 
back.  General  McPherson  immediately  rode  to  the 
scene  of  action,  and  ordered  up  a  brigade  to  its  sup- 
port. Anticipating  that  when  the  first  shock  of  the 
onset  was  over  the  enemy  would  ease  up,  and  swing 
round  in  mass  against  the  rear  of  his  left,  he  imme- 
diately dispatched  his  staff  with  orders  to  the  different 
commanders  to  counteract  such  a  move.  He  watched 
the  progress  of  the  action  until  satisfied  that  his  pres- 
ence was  no  longer  needed  there,  and  then  started 
for  the  left. 

The  falling  back  and  changing  of  position  of  the 
Iowa  brigade  had  left  a  gap  in  our  lin,es.  Through 
this  a  part  of  the  rebel  line  advanced.  As  we  were 
making  our  way  along,  we  met  the  rebel  skirmish- 
line,  whose  direction  of  advance  had  become  changed 
by  the  broken  character  of  the  country.  A  volley 
was  fired  at  us,  which  instantly  killed  General  Mc- 
Pherson, the  ball  passing  in  at  one  side  and  out  at 
the  other,  piercing  his  heart  and  lungs ;  another 
wounding  his  horse  across  the  breast,  and  another 
wounding  his  horse  across  the  neck,  and  another 
passed  through  the  lower  part  of  one  of  the  forefeet 
of  my  horse,  tearing  off  a  shoe  and  leaving  a  groove 
across  the  entire  foot,  Seizing  the  General's  horse 
by  the  bridle,  I  led  him  away  out  of  danger. 

Two  orderlies  and  a  captain  of  the  Signal  Corps 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  347 

were  the  only  persons,  besides  myself,  that  were  near 
the  General  when  he  fell.  As  soon  as  it  was  known 
that  McPherson  had  fallen,  Major-General  Logan 
took  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  T 
turned  the  horse  over  to  the  captain  of  the  Signal 
Corps,  to  take  care  of,  who  dispatched  an  orderly 
to  Colonel  Clark,  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  Mc- 
Pherson's  staff,  with  the  intelligence  of  his  death. 
My  horse  was  so  lamed  by  his  wound  that  I  could 
not  ride  him,  so  I  took  him  to  General  Leggett's 
headquarters  and  left  him.  took  my  gun  and  went  to 
the  front. 

By  this  time  the  action  had  become  general  along 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  raged  furiously  in 
front  and  in  rear.  Attaching  myself  to  the  first  regi- 
ment that  I  came  to,  the  18th  Missouri  Infantry,  I 
fought  with  my  rifle  until  the  action  was  over. 

The  contest  was  a  desperate  one,  and  the  slaughter 
on  both  sides  dreadful.  Five  times  we  jumped  our 
works,  fighting  sometimes  to  the  front  and  sometimes 
to  the  rear.  The  action  did  not  extend  beyond  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee.  When  the  action  had  ceased, 
we  were  ordered  to  fall  back  a  short  distance  and 
throw  up  intrenchments.  The  colonel  of  the  regiment 
I  was  with  now  saw  me  for  the  first  time,  and,  from 
my  dress,  supposing  that  I  was  a  reb.  trying  to  evade 
capture,  said  to  me  :  "  Look'e  here,  mister,  where  do 
you  belong  ?" 

"  I  am  a  member  of  the  20th  Ohio  Infantry,  but  I 
belong  to  General  McPherson's  headquarters." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?" 


348  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

"I  have  been  in  the  fight.  I  had  my  horse  dis- 
abled in  the  beginning  of  the  action,  so  I  took  my 
gun  and  went  to  fighting  with  your  regiment,  and  I 
have  been  with  it  for  two  hours."  I  then  handed 
him  an  order  that  General  McPherson  had  given  me, 
which  said,  "Guards,  pickets,  and  patrols  will  pass 
Corporal  Lorain  Buggies,  of  the  20th  Ohio  Veteran 
Volunteer  Infantry,  who  is  on  special  duty,  at  all 
places  and  at  all  hours,  without  the  countersign." 

When  he  had  read  it,  he  said,  "May-be  General 
McPherson  gave  you  that,  and  may-be  you  stole  it, 
from  the  pocket  of  a  dead  soldier.  You  look  to  mo 
more  like  a  reb.  than  anything  else." 

I  then  showed  him  an  order  that  General  Leggett 
had  given  me  to  draw  fresh  beef  for  myself  and  scouts 
that  messed  with  me.  Having  read  it,  he  said,  "It 
may  all  be  right," 

\Vc  won  a  victory,  but  at  a  fearful  cost  of  life,  of 
both  officers  and  men.  Among  the  fallen  heroes  of 
this  war,  there  has  been  none  more  amiable  in  char- 
acter, none  whose  services  were  of  more  value  to  the 
Government,  and  none  whose  los§  was  more  regretted 
by  the  men  of  his  command,  than  the  brave,  gallant 
.M'-IMierson.  He  was  loved  and  highly  esteemed  by 
all  that  knew  him.  I  can  scarcely  describe  my  sorrow 
at  his  loss.  My  attachment  had  become  intimate,  and 
I  felt  that  I  had  not  only  lost  my  commanding  officer, 
but  my  most  valued  friend.  Such  feelings  of  sorrow 
and  loneliness  came  over  me  that  I  was  well-nigh  in- 
capacitated for  duty.  I  had  felt  lonely  when  General 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  349 

Grant  left  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  but  now  I 
scarcely  knew  what  to  do. 

Shortly  after  the  battle  of  the  22d  of  July,  General 
Sherman  changed  his  position  by  ordering  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee  to  take  its  position  on  the  right  of 
the  army,  leaving  the  armies  of  the  Ohio  and  the 
Cumberland  where  they  were.  This  movement  en- 
abled General  Sherman  to  extend  his  right  toward 
the  junction  of  the  railroad  to  the  south  of  Atlanta. 
The  movement  having  been  effected,  General  Logan, 
on  the  28th  of  July,  ordered  the  16th  Army  Corps  to 
advance  its  lines,  and  the  14th  Corps,  at  the  same 
time,  to  swing  round  its  left,  and  the  15th  Corps  to 
swing  round  its  right,  so  that  the  14th  and  15th 
Corps  formed  converging  lines  toward  the  intrench- 
ments  from  which  the  16th  Corps  had  advanced. 
General  Hood  ordered  an  attack  on  the  advancing 
Corps,  which,  when  it  had  fairly  drawn  on  the  en- 
gagement, as  had  been  previously  arranged,  fell  back 
as  if  beaten,  until  it  reached  its  place  of  starting  be- 
hind its  intrenchments,  closely  followed  by  the  enemy. 
The  16th  Corps  then  poured  a  tremendous  fire  into 
Hood's  front,  and  the  14th  and  loth  Corps  an  oblique 
fire  into  his  flanks.  He  kept  pressing  his  men  up  in 
masses  to  the  contest,  until  it  seemed  as  if  the  entire 
Confederate  army  would  be  swept  away  by  the  ter- 
rible cross-fire  to  which  it  was  exposed.  The  action 
lasted  from  nine  o'clock,  A.  M.,  until  five  o'clock,  p.  M., 
when  the  enemy  withdrew,  leaving  his  dead  and 
wounded  in  our  hands.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  was 


350  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

five  thousand  killed,  besides  wounded  and  prisoners. 
Our  loss  was  very  light  in  comparison  to  that  of  the 
enemy.  I  had  no  hand  in  this  fight,  but  had  an  ex- 
cellent opportunity  of  witnessing  it.  The  next  day  I 
went  over  the  battle-ground.  The  rebel  dead  lay  so 
thick  upon  the  ground  that  I  could  not  ride  along 
without  stepping  on  them,  and  was  compelled  to 
leave  my  horse  and  proceed  on  foot.  The  destruc- 
tion of  life  to  the  enemy,  compared  with  our  own 
loss,  was  greater  than  in  any  other  action  that  I  have 
ever  witnessed. 


800UT   AND   8PY.  351 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Goes  to  Ohio  to  recruit — Raises  twenty-one  men — Difficulty  with  the  Gov- 
ernor—Visits Lieutenant-General  Grant— Order  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment— Again  in  difficulty — Buns  away  from  the  Governor — Reports  to 
General  Sherman— Georgia  raid— An  amusing  coincident— Reports  to 
General  Granger,  at  Mobile— Reports  to  General  Grierson,  in  Texas- 
Makes  a  trip  to  the  Upper  Colorado— Incident  at  General  Grant's  head- 
quarters— The  war  over. 

WHEN  General  Grant  left  the  Western  Depart- 
ment to  take  command  of  the  armies  of  the  United 
States,  I  felt  very  lonely  and  depressed  in  spirit,  on 
account  of  being  parted  from  one  to  whom  I  had  be- 
come strongly  attached.  I  might  have  accompanied 
the  General  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  but  I  had 
no  acquaintance  with  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
I  preferred  to  operate  where  I  had  some  knowledge 
of  army  movements,  as  well  as  of  the  country  and 
people.  The  death  of  General  McPherson  made  me 
feel  gloomy  and  discouraged ;  and  in  the  absence 
from  the  department  of  my  two  most  valued  friends, 
I  determined  to  seek  relief  for  my  depressed  state 
of  mind  by  attempting  to  raise  an  independent  com- 
mand of  my  own,  for  secret  service  purposes. 

I  visited  Major-General  Logan — then  in  command 
of  the  15th  Army  Corps — and  told  him  my  state  of 
mind,  and  that  I  felt  as  if  I  had  rendered  service 
valuable  enough  to  the  Government  to  entitle  me  to 


352  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

a  command  of  my  own,  and  if  he  thought  I  was 
worthy  of  it,  I  wished  him  to  assist  me.  He  imme- 
diately drew  up  and  gave  me  the  following  letter : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  ISra  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
"  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  GA.,  Aug.  15, 1864.     j 

"  Captain  L.  M.  Dayton,  Aid-de-camp  Millitary  Division  of 

the  Mississippi: 

"CAPTAIN — The  bearer,  L.  Kuggles,  of  the  20th  Ohio 
Volunteers,  has  been  for  two  years  in  the  secret  service  of  the 
Government,  and  has,  during  that  time,  made  it  his  study 
to  become  efficient  in  all  its  branches.  Now,  feeling  confi- 
dent in  his  ability,  he  wishes  to  raise  a  company  of  scouts, 
and  desires  authority  to  do  so.  I  respectfully  recommend 
that  necessary  authority  be  given  him,  believing  him  to  be 
eminently  fit  to  direct  the  movements  of  such  a  body  of 
men. 

"Under  my  directions,  in  the  Mississippi  campaign, 
through  Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  and  again  in  the  Yicksburg 
campaign,  he  rendered  the  most  signal  service  in  obtaining 
information.  He  once  entered  the  city  of  Vicksburg,  dur- 
ing its  investment,  and  returned  with  valuable  and  reliable 
information.  If  such  authority  can,  under  any  circum- 
stances, be  given  to  any  one,  I  respectfully  recommend  that 
it  be  granted  him.  Very  respectfully, 

"  JOHN  A.  LOGAN, 
"  Major- General  Volunteers" 

I  carried  the  letter  to  General  Leggett,  who  placed 
on  it  the  following  indorsement : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  3o  DIVISION,  I?TH  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
"  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  GA.,  AUG,  15, 1864.     ) 
"  I  am  well  acquainted  with  said  Lorian  Buggies,  and 
have  been  familiar  with  his  career  since  he  entered  the 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  353 

secret  service,  and  fully  subscribe  to  all  that  is  said  for  him 
by  Major-General  Logan. 

"  During  the  most  of  his  time  he  has  been  in  the  secret 
service  he  has  been  under  my  direction.  He  has  often  had 
under  his  command  from  six  to  thirty  men,  as  scouts,  and 
has  always  handled  them  with  great  skill,  collecting  valua- 
ble information  and  yet  saved  his  men. 

"  M.  D.  LEGGETT, 

"  Brigadier- General" 

From  headquarters  17th  Army  Corps,  I  received 
the  following  indorsement : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  I?TH  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
"  NEAR  ATLANTA,  GA.,  Aug.  15, 1864.     j" 

"  Bespectfully  forwarded.     Approved. 

"FRANK  P.  BLAIR,  Major- General" 

At  Department  of  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  it  was 
indorsed  as  follows : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  DEP'T  ARMY  TENN., 
August  15,  1864. 

"  Kespectfully  forwarded.  O.  O.  HOWARD, 

"  Major- General" 

The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  I  was  a  stranger 
to  both  Generals  Blair  and  Howard.  I  then  carried 
it  to  General  Sherman,  who  disapproved  it,  as  follows : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  MILITARY  DIVISION,  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
"  IN  THE  FIELD,  NEAR  ATLANTA,  Aug.  15, 1864.     j 

"Respectfully  returned.  There  is  no  general  law  for 
such  organization  as  the  within.  General  officers,  when 
they  have  secret  service  funds,  can  employ  men  for  such 
service. 

10* 


354  TIIE    ORHAT   AMERICAN 

"  States  have  had  authority  for  raising  independent  com- 
panies of  any  kind  that  might  be  converted. 
"  By  order  of  Major-General  W.  T.  Sherman. 

"  L.  M.  DAYTON,  Aid-de-camp." 

I  was  disappointed  with  General  Sherman's  decis- 
ion. I  felt  confident  that  there  was  some  way  by 
which  I  could  get  such  a  command  as  I  wanted.  I 
went  to  General  Leggett  for  advice,  who,  after  hav- 
ing read  General  Sherman's  reasons  for  disapproval, 
wrote  and  handed  me  the  following  letter  to  Governor 
Brough : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  3o  Drv.  I?TH  ARMY  CORPS,  > 
"  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  GA.,  August  17,  1864.       ) 

"  To  his  Eotxellency  John  Brough,  Governor  of  Ohio : 

"GOVERNOR — The  bearer  of  this  communication — Cor- 
poral Kuggles,  Co.  H.  20th  O.  V.  V.  I.— has  been  in  the 
secret  service  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  for  more  than 
two  years  past,  and  has  been  eminently  successful  in  that 
department.  He  has  frequently  had  charge  of  considera- 
ble numbers  of  men  employed  as  scouts  and  has  always 
managed  them  with  great  discretion  and  skill. 

"  I  would  respectfully  recommend  that  authority  be  ob- 
tained, if  possible,  for  him  to  recruit  in  Ohio  from  among 
non-veteran  soldiers,  who  have  been  discharged  from  ser- 
vice by  reason  of  expiration  of  term  of  enlistment,  an  inde- 
pendent company,  to  be  armed  with  Spencer  rifles,  and 
used  as  sharp-shooters,  scouts,  secret  service  men,  etc. 

"  It  is  believed  that  such  a  company  can  be  raised  of  men 
skilled  in  such  service,  and  that  the  service  will  be  greatly 
benefited  thereby. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

"W.  D.  LEGGETT,  Brigadier- General" 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  355 

The  foregoing  letter  was  indorsed  as  follows : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  15TH  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
"  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  August  17, 1864.     f 

"  Approved  and  recommended.  JOHN  A.  LOGAN, 

" Major- General  Commanding" 
"By  R  E.  TOWNES,  Lieutenant- Colonel  and  A.  A.  G" 

"  HEADQUARTERS  17TH  ARMY  CORPS, 
"  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  GA.,  August  17, 1864. 

"  Approved  and  strongly  recommended.     This  man  has 
proved  himself  a  trusty  scout,  and  has  been  of  great  service. 
"  [Signed  for  Major-General  Blair.] 

"  A.  J.  ALEXANDER,  A.  A.  G" 

"  HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  AND  DEP'T  OF  TENNESSEE,  ) 
August  17, 1864.     f 

"  Respectfully  forwarded. 

"  I  could  make  good  use  of  a  good  company,  skilled  as 
within  described.  I  have  no  personal  knowledge  of  Cor- 
poral Ruggles. 

"  O.  O.  HOWARD,  Major- General" 

The  foregoing  letters  and  indorsements,  and  Gen- 
eral Grant's  indorsement — which  is  yet  to  follow — 
were  furnished  me  for  these  pages,  accompanied  by 
the  following  letter  by  the  War  Department : 

"  WAR  DEP'T,  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 
"  WASHINGTON,  August  13, 1866. 

"Mr.  Lorain  Ruggles,  (Care  of  Major  E.  C.  Downs,  late  of 
the  2(Wi  Ohio  Vols.,  Henrie  House,)  Cincinnati,  Ohio: 
"  SIR — I  have  respectfully  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 

your  letter  of  the  2d  inst.,  requesting  to  be  furnished  with 


356  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

copies  of  letters  asking  authority  for  you  to  raise  a  com- 
mand of  scouts,  etc.,  with  the  indorsements  thereon  recom- 
mending the  same,  for  publication  in  a  work  detailing  your 
experience  as  a  scout. 

"  In  reply,  I  have  to  transmit  herewith  copies  of  the  let- 
ters referred  to,  with  the  indorsements  thereon,  as  requested. 

"  I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  THOMAS  H.  VINCENT, 
"  Assistant  Adjutant- General" 


With  the  two  letters  of  recommendation  and  their 
indorsements,  I  proceeded  to  Ohio,  and  presented 
them  to  Governor  Brough,  who  read  them  over  very 
carefully,  then  returned  them  to  me,  and  ordered 
that  I  be  furnished  with  the  necessary  recruiting 
papers  and  set  to  work  immediately. 

Having  received  the  necessary  documents,  I  com- 
menced at  once,  and  in  a  very  short  time  had  pro- 
cured twenty-one  men.  With  these  I  went  to  Colum- 
bus, and  reported  in  person  to  the  Adjutant-General. 
He  read  over  my  order  from  the  Governor,  and  then 
said  :  "  Did  you  raise  your  men  under  that  order  as 
scouts?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Well,  there  a'n't  such  an  organization  known  in 
the  United  States  Army  Eegulations  as  a  company 
of  scouts.  I  can't  do  anything  with  such  men." 

"  I  can't  help  that,"  T  replied  ;  "  I  have  acted  un- 
der authority  of  the  Governor  of  Ohio." 

"  Well,  let  us  go  and  see  the  Governor." 

We  carried  the  order  to  the  Governor,  and  the 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  357 

Adjutant-General  explained  to  him  that  there  was  no 
such  organization  in  the  Army  Regulations. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Ruggles,"  said  the  Governor,  "you  go 
on  and  raise  the  men,  and  assign  them  to  a  regiment, 
and  then  have  them  detailed  out  for  scouting  pur- 
poses." 

" That  won't  do  at  all,  Governor,"  said  I.  "I have 
commanded  detailed  men  long  enough ;  I  want  a  com- 
mand of  my  own." 

"  Well,  put  your  men  into  the  197th  Ohio  Infantry, 
and  I  will  extend  your  time  to  recruit,  and  give  you 
a  commission  as  Captain." 

"  I  don't  want  such  a  commission,  Governor.  I 
don't  want  to  be  in  the  infantry  service." 

"Very  well;  I  have  got  to  fill  that  regiment  up, 
because  it  is  needed  immediately  at  Nashville,  and 
the  men  will  have  to  go  into  it." 

"Then  take  them  and  put  them  there,  and  I'll  go 
to  Washington,"  said  I,  and  walked  out. 

I  still  held  the  letters  of  recommendation,  with 
their  indorsements.  With  these  I  proceeded  to  Bal- 
timore, where  I  found  Major-General  Lewis  Wallace, 
and  obtained  a  pass  from  him  to  General  Grant's 
headquarters,  at  City  Point,  Ya.  I  showed  General 
Grant  my  papers,  and  told  him  of  my  difficulty.  He 
took  my  papers  and  addressed  them  to  the  War  De- 
partment, with  the  following  indorsement : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  ARMIES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  { 
"  CITY  POINT,  VA.,  October  13,  1864.  I 

"  I  know  Private  Ruggles  well,  and  the  services  he  ren- 
dered in  Mississippi  as  a  scout.  With  an  independent 


358  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

company  of  such  men  as  himself,  he  would  be  worth  more 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  over  the  district  of  country 
over  which  Mosby  roams,  than  a  regiment  of  cavalry. 

"  I  would  recommend  that  he  be  authorized  to  raise  a 
battalion  of  men,  and  be  put  in  the  Department  of  West 
Virginia. 

"  U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant- General" 


Thus  approved,  General  Grant  sent  me  with  them 
to  the  Secretary  of  War ;  but,  as  I  was  about  to  leave 
his  quarters,  he  said,  "  Perhaps  you  had  better  show 
these  papers  to  the  President."  Thus  prepared,  I 
bent  my  way  toward  Washington,  with  a  somewhat 
lighter  heart  than  I  left  the  Governor's  office  at  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio. 

Finding  several  army  officers  of  my  acquaintance 
at  Washington,  I  showed  them  my  papers,  and  told 
them  that  General  Grant  advised  me  to  show  them 
to  the  President,  and  I  have  since  been  sorry  that  I 
did  not  take  his  advice.  My  friends  said  that  it  was 
not  necessary,  so  I  proceeded  at  once  to  the  War 
Department,  and  handed  my  papers,  in  person,  to 
Secretary  Stanton.  I  felt  happy  when  I  entered  the 
office.  Said  Mr.  Stanton,  "  What  do  you  want?" 

"  I  want  you  to  read  these  papers." 

He  read  the  papers,  and  then  said,  "  Can  you  com- 
mand cavalry  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I  could  command  horses, 
but  I  have  done  pretty  well  with  mules." 

He  then  signed  the  papers,  and  sent  me  to  the 
Provost-marshal-general . 

From  the  Secretary  of  War  I  went  to  the  Provost- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  359 

marshal-general's  office.     There  I  was  told  to  call  in 
a  week,  and  my  papers  would  be  ready. 

At  the  expiration  of  seven  days,  I  again  called  at 
the  office  of  the  Provost-marshal-general,  and  was 
handed  an  order  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy  : 

"  WAR  DEP'T  PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S  OFFICE,  ) 
"  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  October  21, 1863.          I 
"  To  his  Excellency  the  Governor  of  Ohio : 

"SiR: — Subject  to  your  approval,  it  is  hereby  ordered 
that  Corporal  Lorain  Ruggles,  Company  H,  20th  Ohio  Ve- 
teran Volunteer  Infantry,  has  authority  to  proceed  to  Ohio 
and  raise  a  company  of  cavalry,  for  certain  special  services, 
whereas  ordered  by  these  headquarters. 

"  Should  the  Corporal's  success  warrant  it,  authority  will 
be  given  him  to  raise  three  additional  companies — not 
more  than  one  company,  however,  to  be  under  recruitment 
at  one  time. 

"  As  soon  as  a  company  is  raised,  he  will  report  with  it 
at  once  to  these  headquarters.  The  men  must  be  enrolled 
under  the  present  existing  regulations,  for  the  period  of 
one,  two,  or  three  years,  as  the  men  may  choose  to  enlist. 
The  company  must  be  raised  within  twenty  days  from  the 
time  the  Corporal  commences  to  recruit. 

"  By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 

"JAMES  B.  FRY,  Provost-marshal- General" 

With  this  I  again  reported  to  the  Governor  of 
Ohio.  He  opened  the  order  and  commenced  to  read 
aloud.  When  he  came  to  the  date,  which  was  1863, 
when  it  should  have  been  1864,  he  inquired  :  "  Where 
have  you  been  for  a  year  past  ?" 

"You  know  where  I  have  been,  Governor,"  I  re- 
plied. "  You  know  that  that  paper  is  dated  wrong." 


360  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

14  Well,  don't  you  know  that  when  a  military  order 
is  dated  wrong  it  is  all  wrong." 

"  Yes  ;  but  what  shall  I  do  about  it  ?" 

"  Go  back  to  Washington  and  get  it  made  right." 

"  I  don't  want  to  spend  so  much  time  running  about. 
I  would  like  to  raise  a  company  and  get  back  to  the 
front  before  the  war  doses"  He  then  finished  reading 
the  order.  When  he  had  done,  I  asked  him  what  he 
thought  of  it. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "I  would  advise  you  not  to  do 
anything  with  it  as  it  is." 

"  That's  my  mind  exactly.  It  dtii  what  I  wanted 
at  all.  It  looks  like  making  a  recruiting  officer  of 
me  to  fill  up  some  fancy  regiment.  All  I  wanted  was 
authority  to  raise  a  company.  I  am  subject  to  your 
orders.  What  shall  I  do — go  to  recruiting,  or  go 
back  to  the  front?" 

"  I  don't  know,  Corporal,  what  you  had  better 
do." 

"  Well,  if  you  don't  know,  I  don't ;  so,  I  guess 
I'll  leave." 

At  length,  being  disgusted  with  making  any  fur- 
ther effort  to  raise  a  company,  I  went  back  to  the 
front  without  orders,  and  reported  to  the  command- 
ing officer  of  my  regiment.  Finding  that  I  had  no 
order  returning  me  to  duty  in  the  regiment,  he  re- 
fused to  have  me  in  his  command.  I  then  reported 
to  Major-General  Howard,  who  said  that  I  was  sub- 
ject to  order  from  the  War  Department,  and  that  he 
had  no  authority  over  me.  I  remarked,  "  I  guess, 
then,  that  I  must  be  out  of  the  service  altogether. 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  361 

I'll  go  and  sec  what  General  Sherman  can  do  for 
me."  I  went  to  him,  and  told  him  what  I  had  done, 
and  he  said  to  me,  "You  may  remain  at  my  head- 
quarters until  further  orders.7' 

I  must  "say  that  I  felt  sadly  disappointed  and  dis- 
heartened at  my  failure  in  raising  a  command  of  my 
own.  If  I  had  humored  the  Governor  in  the  first 
attempt  to  raise  a  company,  I  would,  undoubtedly, 
have  been  a  captain,  but  I  was  determined  to  have 
such  a  command  as  I  wanted,  or  none.  The  reader 
must  judge  for  himself  whether  I  have  merited  it 
or  not. 

In  about  five  days  after  my  arrival  at  the  front, 
General  Sherman  started  on  his  grand  campaign 
through  Georgia.  Not  a  doubt  was  entertained  by 
the  troops  of  their  ability  to  march  triumphant  across 
to  the  Atlantic  coast.  Very  few  there  were  but  who 
anticipated  correctly  the  point  of  destination  at  the 
outset  of  the  march,  and  at  the  prospect  before  them 
were  highly  elated.  Never  were  men  in  better  spirits 
than  when  the  march  commenced. 

It  was  the  most  decisive  and  glorious  campaign  of 
the  war,  and  yet  fraught  with  the  least  of  personal 
adventure  of  any  campaign  that  I  have  taken  part  in. 
My  duty  was  one  in  common  with  the  other  scouts, 
and  the  soldiers  of  the  entire  army  were  all  scouts. 
My  individual  experience  was  not  different  from  that 
of  the  great  mass  of  soldiers. 

Our  duty  was  to  subsist  ourselves  and  devastate 
the  country  as  completely  as  possible,  taking  good 
care  not  to  get  captured.  This  we  accomplished 
16 


362  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

successfully.  The  army  never  lived  better  and  the 
men  never  enjoyed  better  health ;  and  when  we 
reached  the  Atlantic  coast  we  were  in  better  condi- 
tion physically  than  when  we  started  from  Atlanta. 
The  march  occupied  a  period  of  thirty-two  days, 
every  day  of  which  we  were  on  the  move. 

During  our  progress,  though  we  were  cut  off  from 
all  communication  with  home,  we  were  not  altogether 
ignorant  of  General  Thomas'  glorious  victory,  and 
route  of  the  Confederate  army  under  Hood.  We 
learned,  by  way  of  the  Southern  people,  of  "Hood's 
disaster,"  and  could  plainly  comprehend  the  strategy 
that  had  drawn  him  unwittingly  to  the  defences  at 
Nashville,  and  it  added  not  a  little  to  our  courage. 
We  plainly  saw  that  the  enemy  was  utterly  power- 
less to  resist  our  advance. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  coast,  near  Savannah,  we 
were  visited  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  General 
Leggett  gave  me  an  introduction  to  him,  as  "a  very 
efficient  and  worthy  scout  and  spy,"  to  which  he  re- 
plied, "Yes,  I  know  him." 

He  asked  me  if  I  was  acquainted  about  Mobile 
and  New  Orleans.  I  told  him  that  I  was  not  much 
acquainted  about  Mobile,  but  had  been  there  twice, 
and  that  I  was  pretty  well  acquainted  about  New 
Orleans  and  Lake  Pontchartrain.  He  asked  me  if  I 
was  willing  to  make  a  trip  across  the  country  and 
report  to  General  Granger,  and  I  answered,  "Yes, 
anjr  where." 

The  next  morning  I  received  a  sealed  order  from 
the  Secretary  of  War  to  proceed  across  the  country 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  363 

on  horseback,  and  report  for  special  service  to  Gen- 
eral Granger,  at  Mobile,  Alabama.  I  was  not  limited 
in  time  to  make  the  trip. 

It  was  some  time  in  the  month  of  January,  1865, 
that  I  set  out  on  my  journey.  I  travelled  very  leis- 
nrcly,  and  visited  every  place  of  any  importance  that 
lay  near  my  route.  I  had  been  instructed  by  the 
Secretary  of  War  to  gather  as  much  information  as  I 
could  while  passing  through  the  country.  To  accom- 
plish this,  I  made  frequent  trips  to  converse  with  the 
people,  and  I  frequently  rode  many  miles,  to  one  side 
or  the  other  of  my  route,  to  find  people  that  were 
influential  and  leading  members  of  society,  so  that  1 
might  learn  the  sentiments  of  those  who  wielded  a 
controlling  influence.  I  travelled  in  the  disguise  of  a 
citizen,  carrying  my  order  from  the  Secretary  with 
me.  It  was  not  often  that  I  ventured  to  carry  such 
papers,  but  at  this  time  I  considered  the  war  virtually 
at  an  end.  and  apprehended  no  danger  of  being 
searched. 

I  found  that  most  of  the  people  were  willing  to 
give  up  to  the  Federal  authorities — not  because  they 
had  been  wrong,  but  because  by  the  force  of  war  they 
had  been  overpowered  and  exhausted.  While  there 
was  a  desire  for  peace,  there  was  also  a  hatred  of  the 
Federal  Government.  A  few  were  satisfied  with  the- 
old  Government  as  it  was,  and  had  reluctantly  been 
drawn  into  rebellion  by  the  force  of  the  elements 
around  them.  Such  people  hailed  the  overthrow  oi-' 
the  Confederate  government  with  joy. 

"Hood's  disaster"  and  "Sherman's  raid"  had  re- 


364  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

vealed  to  the  Southern  people  their  weakness  in  a 
more  alarming  view  than  they  had  ever  before  seen 
it.  It  seemed,  in  their  case,  that  the  last  straw  had 
been  laid  upon  the  camel's  back,  and  the  overloaded 
beast  was  unable  to  rise. 

The  most  of  the  way  I  enjoyed  my  journey  finely. 
Sometimes  I  would  lay  over  several  days,  on  account 
of  rain  and  bad  roads.  Wherever  I  stopped  I  found 
something  to  interest  me.  I  made  it  a  point  to  make 
myself  as  interesting  and  agreeable  to  the  people  that 
entertained  me  as  possible. 

I  spent  three  weeks  in  Florida.  There  I  found  the 
people  more  disheartened  than  anywhere  else  in  my 
route ;  in  fact,  resistance  to  the  Federal  army  had 
been  given  up.  During  my  stay  there  I  spent  sev- 
eral days  with  a  planter  by  the  name  of  Fanshaw, 
who  lives  near  the  coast,  at  St.  Mark's.  He  was 
formerly  from  the  State  of  New  York.  I  passed  my- 
self while  there  by  my  real  name,  and  as  a  brother 
of  General  Ruggles,  and  represented  that  I  was  on 
my  way  home  to  Bolivar  County,  Mississippi,  from 
Savannah,  Georgia,  where  I  had  been  on  business 
pertaining  to  the  Confederate  Government.  I  gave 
him  such  an  account  of  the  general  state  of  affairs  all 
over  the  Confederate  States  that  he  did  not  doubt,  in 
the  least,  the  statements  that  I  made.  When  I  called 
at  his  house  I  had  no  intention  of  remaining  there 
long,  but  his  hospitality  was  so  strongly  urged  upon 
me  that  I  accepted  it  to  enable  my  horse  to  rest. 

During  my  stay  there  I  was  much  amused  by  read- 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  365 

ing  a  story  in  a  Mississippi  journal,  which  was  handed 
to  me  by  Miss  Ella  F.  She  remarked  that  it  was  one 
of  the  curious  events  of  the  war.  Little  did  she 
think,  in  handing  me  the  paper,  she  was  making  it 
doubly  so.  This  account  will  serve  to  show  the  dif- 
ference, between  truth  and  fiction,  and  how  much 
many  of  the  writers  of  the  present  day  make  out 
of  a  little  fact.  How  the  paper  had  made  its  way 
there  I  cannot  tell. 

The  story  wras  written  by  Mr.  James  D ,  of  the 

14th  Illinois  Infantry.  Sergeant  Downs,  of  the  20th 
Ohio,  had  related  to  Mr.  D —  -  several  of  the  inci- 
dents in  my  experience  as  scout ;  and  from  one  of 
these  he  wrote  the  romance,  in  which  I  figured  as 
the  hero,  giving,  instead  of  my  full  name,  only  the 
initial  letters,  together  with  the  name  of  my  com- 
pany and  regiment.  It  was  given  as  a  narrative  of 
facts,  with  an  announcement  that  an  extended  history 
of.  my  services  would  be  forthcoming  from  the  able 
pen  of  Captain  Downs.  It  was  first  published  in 
1863,  as  before  mentioned. 

Coming  to  me  as  it  did,  under  such  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances, it  was  exceedingly  amusing.  I  took  good 
care,  however,  that  my  lady  friend  did  not  find  out 
that  I  was  the  hero  of  the  story.  My  feelings  at  the 
time  can  be  better  imagined  by  perusing  it.  It  ran 
as  follows : 

"On  board  the  magnificent  steamer  'Imperial,' 
on  her  passage  from  St.  Louis  to  New  Orleans,  in  the 
month  of  October,  A.  D.,  1860,  reclining  upon  one  of 


366  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

those  elegantly-furnished  sofas  in  her  sumptuous 
cabin,  might  have  been  seen  the  hero  of  our  story, 
wrapped  in  a  'brown  study.' 

"  His  form  was  attractive  and  commanding ;  some- 
thing over  a  medium  size,  and  well  proportioned. 
His  features  were  pleasant,  and  his  hair  brown  and 
wavy,  extending  in  a  rich  profusion  of  glossy  curls 
down  over  his  shoulders.  His  eyes  were  of  a  deep 
blue,  and  as  sharp  and  piercing  as  those  of  an  eagle. 
His  forehead  was  broad  and  high,  imparting  a  look 
of  more  than  usual  intelligence  ;  indeed,  he  was  what 
might  be  called  a  handsome  fellow,  and,  though  he 
hud  passed  the  age  of  iive-and-twenty,  he  looked  as 
fair  and  fresh  as  though  but  twenty-one.  L — 

II (the  subject  of  our  sketch)  was  a  resident  of 

Ohio,  but  was  then  on  his  way  to  New  Orleans  on 
business. 

"  It  is  said  that  he  once  loved  a  beautiful  and 
accomplished  young  lady  of  an  amiable  disposition, 
and,  withal,  of  no  inconsiderable  wealth ;  but  upon 
the  very  day  on  which  they  were  to  have  been  united 
in  marriage,  he  followed  her  remains  to  her  long- 
home.  Three  years  had  passed,  but  he  had  found  no 
fair  one  to  fill  the  heart  thus  made  vacant. 

"As  he  reclines  upon  the  sofa,  he  is  meditating 
upon  the  strange  vicissitudes  of  life.  Recollections 
of  scenes  in  his  own  experience  pass  vividly  before 
him,  and,  as  if  but  yesterday,  he  strolls  for  the  last 
time  in  the  green  meadow.  Just  as  the  declining  sun 
is  shedding  his  last  lingering  rays  across  the  land- 
scape, accompanied  by  his  own  angelic  Belinda,  and 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  367 

as  they  are  about  to  pass  the  gate  to  her  father's 
house,  they  pause  for  a  moment,  and,  with  her  soft 
"fingers  playfully  twirling  his  glossy  curls,  she  presses 
her  lips  to  his,  and  whispers,  '  My  own  dear  L /' 

"  Since  then  three  summers  have  passed  without 
obliterating  the  blank  in  his  heart  caused  by  the 
transfer  of  his  fair  one  to  the  spirit-land,  and  he  won- 
ders whether,  indeed,  there  was  but  one  heart  on 
earth  whose  emotions  of  love  can  soften  his.  Again 
and  again  he  recalls  the  scenes  of  love's  sunny  hours 
until  his  eyes  are  suffused  with  tears.  Dashing  them 
away,  he  starts  from  his  seat  and  mingles  with  the 
gay  crowd  that  are  passengers  with  him. 

"Among  that  throng  was  a  young  man  by  the 
name  of  Charles  Rollins,  who  had  just  finished  a 
course  of  education  at  one  of  our  northern  colleges, 
and  was  then  on  his  way  home.  He  was  a  young 
man  of  an  ardent  temperament,  of  fine  appearance 
and  accomplished  manners.  His  parents  resided  at 
Natchez,  Mississippi. 

"L —  -  sought  relief  from  the  recollections  that 
had  passed,,  by  seeking  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
those  around  him.  The  fine  manly  bearing  of  Charles 
attracted  his  attention,  and  he  at  once  sought  an  in- 
terview, which  proved  to  be  agreeable.  Frequent 
interviews  were  had,  and  their  acquaintance  soon 
ripened  into  friendship. 

"  Charles  had  a  sister — an  only  one — by  the  name 
of  Annie.  She  was  then  entering  upon  her  twenty- 
iburth  year ;  and  though  not  in  the  strict  sense  of 
the  word  handsome,  she  was,  nevertheless,  good- 


368  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

looking,  and  possessed,  of  what  is  of  more  conse- 
quence than  beauty,  all  the  graces  that  adorn  the 
life  of  a  devoted,  exemplary  Christian.  She  had 
early  embraced  the  Christian  religion ;  and  her  pure 
devotion,  genial  nature,  and  agreeable  manners,  won 
for  her  the  love  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  her. 

"  Annie  had  received  the  attentions  of  several 
young  men  of  unexceptionable  character  and  reputa- 
tion, possessed,  withal,  of  that  worldly  competence 
and  business  tact  that  would  have  placed  her,  be- 
yond doubt,  above  want;  yet,  strange  to  say,  she 
saw  reason  to  decline  their  offers.  Why  she  had 
failed  to  love  was  known,  if  at  all,  only  to  herself. 
Her  parents  would  have  been  pleased  had  their 
daughter  been  united  in  holy  wedlock  to  a  worthy 
young  man  that  she  loved ;  nevertheless,  they  had 
too  much  respect  for  her  judgment  to  question  the 
propriety  of  her  decisions  and  the  reasons  for  them, 
and  the  only  reason,  perhaps,  that  they  could  assign 
was  that  old  and  common  one,  '  matches  arc  made  in 
heaven.' 

"The  entire  passage  from  St.  Louis  passed  off 
agreeably  to  our  new-made  friends,  and,  sooner  than 
they  could  have  wished  it,  the  signal  was  sounded  to 
land  at  the  beautiful  town  of  Natchez.  L —  -  was 
unable  to  refuse  the  pressing  invitation  from  Charles 
to  stop  and  spend  a  few  days,  or  at  least  a  night, 
with  him  at  his  father's  house. 

"It  is  unnecessary  to  describe  the  introduction 
that  followed,  or  the  welcome  that  was  extended. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  the  journey  was  not  renewed  the 


SCOUT    AND   SPY.  369 

next  day,  nor  the  next,  A  week  rolled  around,  and 
then  another,  and  another,  until  three  months  had 

passed,  and  still  L was  a  welcome  guest  at  the 

home  of  the  Rollinses.  At  the  end  of  that  period 
L K and  Annie  were  engaged  to  be  married. 

"At  last  business  became  so  urgent  that  L — 
was  obliged  to  resume  his  journey  to  New  Orleans. 
The  hour  came  for  departure,  and  he  sought  a  last 
interview  with  Annie,  and  gave  her  the  parting  fare- 
well. 

"During  the  winter  of  1860  and  '61,  the  country, 
North  and  South,  had  become  agitated  with  political 
excitement,  which  ran  so  high  that  the  two  sections 
seemed  in  imminent  danger  of  becoming  involved  in 
a  civil  war.  The  South  claimed  that  the  North  had 
encroached  upon  her  rights,  and  even  went  so  far  as 
to  threaten  to  withdraw  from  the  Federal  compact 
and  take  up  the  sword  in  vindication  of  her  rights. 

"As  L— —  was  about  to  leave,  Annie  still  clung 

to  him,  saying :  '  My  dear  L ,  before  you  leave 

me,  I  want  you  to  make  me  one  promise.' 

"  '  Well,  Annie,  what  is  it?7 

"'You   know,    L ,  that  our  nation   is   being 

shaken  to  its  centre  by  political  excitement,  and  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  before  I  shall  see  you  again 
the  Southern  States  will  secede  from  the  Union,  and 
the  country  become  involved  in  war.  Promise  me 
that  in  case  the  South  becomes  engaged  in  war  with 
the  North,  you  will  not  take  up  arms  against  her.' 

"  'My  dear  Annie,  as  much  as  I  love  you,  I  can- 
not make  you  that  promise.     The  North  is  my  birth- 
16* 


370  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

place  and  home.  I  love  and  respect  the  flag  under 
which  I  was  cradled,  and  if  the  country  needs  my 
services  to  preserve  her  glorious  nationality,  I  am 
under  sacred  obligations  to  render  assistance.' 

"She  pressed  his  hand  warmly  and  drew  him 
closer  to  her  fond  embrace  ;  her  eyes  filled  with  tears 
and  her  bosom  heaved  with  emotion  as  she  said, 
1  Make  me,  then,  at  least  this  promise — if  the  country 
does  become  involved  in  war,  with  you  upon  one  side 
and  Charles  upon  the  other,  and  you  should  chance 

to  meet  him  as  your  enemy,  will  you,  dearest  L , 

spare  my  brother  ? ' 

"  '  Yes,'  he  uttered,  as  he  imprinted  a  farewell  kiss 
upon  her  lips. 

"Time  rolled  on,  and,  as  had  been  anticipated,  one 
after  another  of  the  Southern  States  seceded  and  took 
up  arms  against  the  North,  and  involved  the  country 
in  a  civil  war.  Charles  Rollins,  as  his  sister  had 
feared,  identified  himself  with  the  interest  of  his  own 
State,  and  enlisted  in  a  Mississippi  regiment  of  in- 
fantry. L —  -  R ,  true  to  his  country  and  his 

country's  flag,  rallied  at  the  first  call  of  the  President 
to  save  it  from  destruction. 

"  His  devoted  patriotism  and  his  obstinate  bravery 
in  the  hour  of  battle,  won  for  him  the  confidence  of 
his  commanding  officers,  who  often  sent  him  on  mis- 
sions of  danger.  The  Commander-in-chief,  having 
learned  of  his  reliability,  address,  and  daring,  fre- 
quently sent  him  to  obtain  information  of  the  enemy's 
movements. 

"In  November,  1861,  preparatory  to  moving  the 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  371 

grand  army  south  into  Mississippi,  and  while  the 
troops  were  being  concentrated  in  the  vicinity  of 

Lagrange,  Tenn.,  General  G-rant  sent  Mr.  R out, 

on  horseback,  to  find  the  enemy's  advanced  pickets. 
It  was  in  the  night,  and  extremely  dark,  which  render- 
ed the  undertaking  a  hazardous  one.  He  felt  his  way 
along  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  had  made  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty  miles,  when,  in  the  midnight  darkness, 
not  six  feet  in  advance  of  him,  he  was  confronted  by 
a  single  sentry,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  road, 
who  challenged  him  with  '  Halt !  who  comes  there  ? ' 

"It  was  a  desperate  situation,  and  Mr.  R de- 
termined to  make  the  most  of  it.  '  Friend,  with  the 
countersign,'  he  answered,  drawing  his  revolver. 

"'Advance  and  give  the  countersign,'  was  the 
reply. 

He  did  so,  and,  thrusting  his  revolver  to  the  breast 
of  the  sentry,  fired.  The  flash  of  his  piece  revealed 
to  him  the  face  of  Charles  Rollins !  I0h  heavens!  '  he 
cried,  and  sprang  from  his  horse  and  embraced  the 
fallen  form.  '  Charles !  Charles !  speak  !  if  but  once  ; 
for  God's  sake,  speak ! ? 

"It  was  too  late;  the  ball  had  penetrated  his 
heart,  and  Charles  was  dead.  The  sharp  report 
aroused  his  sleeping  companions,  wrho  were  lying  by 
the  roadside,  a  little  distance  from  him,  and  the 
noise  they  made  as  they  sprang  for  their  guns  warned 
L—  -  of  his  danger,  who  quickly  sprang  to  his  sad- 
dle and  dashed  away  unharmed,  but  not  without  being 
iired  at  by  the  remaining  pickets.  He  made  a  safe 
return,  and  reported  to  General  Grant,  but  since 


372  THE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

that  time  his  acquaintances  have  noticed  that  he  has 
become  a  changed  man/'7 

I  arrived  at  General  Granger's  headquarters  in 
Mobile,  Alabama,  April  9,  1865,  the  next  day  after 
the  capture  of  Blakely.  I  had  travelled  in  all,  since 
leaving  Savannah,  a  distance  of  nine  hundred  miles, 
and  that  without  molestation. 

During  my  journey,  two  of  the  most  important 
events  of  the  war  had  transpired.  General  Lee  had 
surrendered  his  command  to  General  Grant,  and 
General  Johnston  had  surrendered  his  command  to 
General  Sherman.  Kirby  Smith's  command,  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  was  the  only  armed  force  that  had 
not  surrendered. 

The  returned  Confederate  soldiers,  wherever  I  met 
them  in  my  route,  had  expressed  themselves  as  satis- 
fied with  their  attempt  to  sustain  the  Confederacy, 
-and  gave  it  up  as  a  lost  cause.  "  Experience"  is  said 
to  be  the  "best  school-master."  The  Confederate 
soldiers  evidently  thought  so. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival,  the  intelligence  was 
received  that  President  Lincoln  had  been  murdered. 
It  was  too  sad  intelligence  for  the  soldiers  to  believe, 
nor  would  they  believe  it  until  officially  confirmed. 
Then  their  anger  knew  no  bounds,  and  it  was  with 
the  utmost  difficulty  that  commanding  officers  re- 
strained their  men  from  committing  retaliatory  dep- 
redations. 

In  the  midst  of  a  nation's  rejoicing,  she  was  called 
to  mourn  the  death  of  the  man  who  had  steered  the 
Ship  of  State  clear  of  the  shoals  that  threatened 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  373 

her  destruction,  who  was  swept  from  the  helm  as 
the  ship  was  just  entering  the  haven  of  peace,  and 
within  sight  of  her  desired  moorings.  While  it  was 
hard  to  deprive  him  thus  of  the  sweet  anticipations  in 
prospect  before  him,  it  was  nevertheless  permitted, 
in  the  wise  directions  of  a  beneficent  Providence. 
The  murder  of  Abraham  Lincoln  was  the  closing  act 
of  the  great  rebellion.  The  picture  of  the  scene,  re- 
volting as  it  had  been,  seemed  incomplete  until  the 
dark  finishing  shades  had  been  added  by  the  hand  of 
an  assassin. 

The  war  was  now  virtually  closed,  and  during  our 
stay  at  Mobile  General  Granger  had  nothing  for  me 
to  do.  In  July  he  moved  to  New  Orleans,  taking 
most  of  his  troops  with  him.  It  was  generally  sup- 
posed that  we  were  going  there  to  take  transports 
home  to  our  respective  States,  to  be  mustered  out ; 
but  in  this  we  were  disappointed.  At  that  place 
General  Granger  ordered  me  to  report  to  the  Pro- 
vost-marshal for  duty  as  a  detective.  Why  I  was  so 
often  selected  for  such  duty  is  more  than  I  can  tell. 
If  I  had  all  other  necessary  qualifications  for  that 
business,  my  dislike  for  it  was  so  great  as  to  over- 
come them.  I  went  to  the  Provost-marshal  with  my 
order,  and  told  him  that  I  was  at  his  disposal  for 
duty,  but  that  I  had  objections  to  engaging  in  that 
kind  of  service — not  that  I  was  unwilling  to  obey  my 
superior  officers,  but  simply  because  I  had  a  dislike 
for  the  business  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  over- 
come. I  told  him  that  I  had  twice  tried  to  operate 
as  a  detective  and  had  failed,  and  the  more  I  tried  it 


374  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

the  less  I  liked  it.  It  was  a  kind  of  duty  that  was 
not  congenial  to  my  nature,  and  it  seemed  to  me  like 
low  business.  I  was  satisfied  that  there  were  those 
who  were  better  adapted  to  such  business  than  I,  but 
if  he  insisted  upon  it  I  would  go  to  work  and  do  the 
best  that  I  could. 

He  told  me  that  he  had  but  very  little  detective 
business  to  do,  and  that  he  did  not  wish  to  have  me 
engaged  in  business  that  was  not  agreeable  to  my 
feelings.  He  told  me  to  return  to  General  Granger's 
headquarters,  and  that  if  he  found  occasion  to  need 
my  services  he  would  send  for  me. 

I  have  since  had  reason  to  suspect  that  setting  me 
to  work  as  a  detective  was  simply  a  show  of  some- 
thing for  me  to  do,  on  the  part  of  commanding  offi- 
cers, that  I  might  be  retained  in  the  service  longer, 
lest,  in  the  future,  something  might  turn  up  that 
would  give  them  occasion  to  need  me.  At  that  time 
there  was  great  clamoring  among  the  soldiers  to  be 
mustered  out,  and  orders  had  been  issued  to  muster 
out  all  detached  men  who  were  not  actively  engaged. 

We  remained  in  New  Orleans  until  the  latter  part 
of  July,  when  we  embarked  on  board  the  transports 
and  went  to  Galveston,  Texas.  At  that  place  there 
was  as  little  for  me  to  do  as  there  had  been  in  New 
Orleans.  Having  no  use  for  me,  General  Granger 
sent  me  to  Columbus,  Texas,  a  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  miles  inland,  to  report  to  General 
driers*  in. 

I  made  the  journey  alone  and  on  horseback,  dressed 
as  a  citizen.  For  the  last  year  and  a  half  of  my  ser- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  375 

vice,  I  very  rarely  wore  anything  but  a  citizen's 
dress.  I  occupied  five  days  in  making  the  journey, 
and  got  through  to  General  Grierson's  headquarters 
without  having  experienced  a  single  incident  of  inter- 
est. That  kind  of  scouting  was  dry  business  to  me. 
It  is  excitement  that  makes  the  life  of  a  scout  inter- 
esting. 

In  September  General  Grierson  sent  me  alone  to 
the  Upper  Colorado,  a  distance  of  four  hundred  miles, 
with  instructions  to  see  whether  the  rebs  were  con- 
centrating a  force  or  fortifying  at  any  point  along  the 
river.  I  made '  the  trip  on  horseback,  in  my  usual 
citizen's  dress.  Very  much  of  the  distance  was 
sparsely  settled,  which  rendered  my  journey  at  least 
a  lonesome  one.  A  naturalist,  no  doubt,  would  have 
found  in  that  route  enough  to  have  made  a  volume 
interesting,  but  to  me  nothing  was  of  so  much  interest 
as  the  end  of  my  journey.  During  the  entire  route  it 
was  the  same  dull  monotony  day  after  day. 

On  my  return,  and  when  within  four  days'  ride  of 
Columbus,  I  fell  in  with  a  party  of  outlaws  number- 
ing forty  men.  They  wore  uniforms  exactly  like 
General  Grierson's  cavalry,  and  had  United  States 
saddles  and  carbines.  At  first  I  supposed  that  they 
were  a  detachment  of  his  command,  but  fortunately 
I  discovered  my  mistake  before  having  told  who  I 
was.  They  plundered  indiscriminately,  but  left  the 
impression,  wherever  they  went,  that  they  were  n 
detachment  of  United  States  troops,  acting  under 
General  Grierson's  orders.  I  travelled  with  them 
three  days. 


376  TIIE    GREAT    AMERICAN 

As  soon  as  I  found  out  what  they  were  I  proposed 
to  join  their  organization.  This  I  did  for  ray  own 
safety.  I  represented  myself  as  having  been  a  planter 
in  Mississippi,  and  that  I  had  lost  all  my  property  by 
the  war — a  part  of  it  by  the  Confederate  army  and  a 
part  of  it  by  the  Lincoln  army ;  and  I  also  told  them 
that  I  was  determined  to  get  my  property  back  in 
some  way,  and  did  not  care  how  I  did  it,  nor  who  I 
got  it  from.  My  proposition  was  accepted,  and  it  was 
arranged  that  I  should  go  on  to  Columbus  and  trans- 
act some  business  that  I  had  there,  and,  if  possible, 
secure  by  some  means,  fair  or  foul,  a  uniform,  saddle. 
and  carbine,  and  then  return  to  a  certain  plantation 
that  they  would  show  me  in  our  route. 

The  last  day  that  I  was  with  them,  we  passed  the 
plantation  to  which  I  was  to  return  when  I  had  com- 
pleted my  business  at  Columbus.  Toward  night  they 
plundered  a.  rich  planter  who  had  never  been  at  heart 
really  disloyal.  He  had  acted  with  the  Confederate 
Government  simply  because  compelled  to,  but  at  his 
earliest  opportunity  had  taken  the  required  oath.  As 
the  outlaws  were  taking  his  property  he  remonstrated, 
and  told  them  that  he  was  a  Union  man,  and  that 
General  Grierson  had  promised  to  protect  him.  They 
told  him  that  he  was  no  Union  man,  but  a  lying  sc- 
cesh.  They  insulted  him  shamefully,  and  then,  having 
secured  what  plunder  they  wanted,  made  their  way 
off,  leaving  him  to  suppose  that  the  outrage  had  been 
committed  by  Federal  cavalry. 

During  my  ride  with  them  I  became  quite  familiar 
with  their  countenances,  and  also  learned  where  sev- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  377 

eral  of  them  resided.  I  also  found  out  that  they  did 
expect,  when  on  a  plundering  expedition,  to  remain 
in  a  body,  but  separated  to  their  homes,  meeting  oc- 
casionally, however,  to  arrange  for  new  expeditions, 
but  never  twice  in  the  same  place,  lest  their  haunts 
might  be  discovered.  Shortly  after  plundering  the 
planter  that  I  have  mentioned,  they  turned  off  on 
another  road  and  left  me  to  pursue  my  journey 
alone. 

After  reporting  to  General  Grierson  the  result  of 
my  trip,  I  mentioned  the  incident  about  the  outlaws, 
and  their  having  plundered  the  planter,  but  did  not 
tell  him  that  I  had  agreed  to  return  to  them.  The 
day  following  my  report,  the  planter  came  in  with 
complaint  to  General  Grierson  that  his  cavalry  had 
plundered  him  of  his  horses  and  mules,  and  other 
property,  and  also  had  shamefully  insulted  him. 

General  Grierson  was  surprised  to  hear  such  com- 
plaints, and  told  the  man  that  he  must  be  mistaken  ; 
but  he  insisted  that  he  knew  they  were  his  men  ; 
they  had  United  States  uniforms,  saddles,  and  car- 
bines exactly  like  his  men.  The  General  then  called 
the  Adjutant,  to  know  whether  he  had  sent  a  detach- 
ment out,  but  none  had  been  sent.  The  planter  still 
insisted  that  it  was  United  States  cavalry  that  com- 
mitted the  outrage.  Recalling  to  mind  what  I  had 
reported  to  him  the  day  before,  the  General  mis- 
trusted who  had  done  it,  and  sent  for  me.  I  at  once 
recognized  the  planter  as  the  one  whom  I  had  seen 
plundered  by  the  outlaws. 

The  next  day  I  accompanied  a  detachment  of  cav- 


378  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

airy,  in  disguise,  to  hunt  up  the  outlaws.  We  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  residences  of  those  that  I  had 
learned,  and  were  so  fortunate  as  to  find  them  at 
home,  all  of  whom  we  captured.  I  took  good  care  to 
be  seen  by  them  as  little  as  possible.  I  do  not  think 
1  was  recognized  by  any  of  the  number  that  we  cap- 
tured. Every  one  of  them  were  loud  in  their  declara- 
tions of  good  behavior,  and  expressed  astonishment 
that  they  should  be  so  treated.  The  arrest  of  a  part 
of  the  band  put  a  damper  upon  the  rest,  and  they 
cleared  out,  or  ceased  their  operations.  I  heard  of 
no  more  complaints  during  the  time  I  remained 
there. 

From  what  experience  I  have  had  in  the  secret 
service,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  Government 
has  been  entirely  too  lenient  with  that  class  of  men. 
Nothing  but  the  severest  penalty  of  the  law  will  ever 
stop  them  from  their  depredations.  They  will  con- 
tinue to  give  trouble  in  the  South  so  long  as  they  are 
allowed  to  run  at  large.  They  are  possessed  of  none 
of  the  finer  feelings  of  humanity  that  can  be  reached 
by  moral  suasion,  and  nothing  but  physical  restraint 
can  control  them. 

Sympathy  for  those  that  have  erred  is  a  commend- 
able element  in  the  human  heart,  but  when  carried 
to  extremes  is  productive  of  disastrous  results.  I 
think  the  entire  secession  element  of  the  South  has 
received,  and  is  now  receiving,  more  favor  at  the 
hands  of  the  Government  than  is  consistent  for  the 
safety  of  our  republican  institutions.  People  who 
have  committed  crime  should  be  made  to  feel  that 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  379 

they  have  done  so,  by  inflicting  upon  them  the  proper 
penalty.  Let  rebels  prove  themselves  "  prodigal 
sons"  before  being  embraced  in  the  arms  of  our  good 
Uncle  Sam. 

On  the  2d  day  of  December,  1865,  I  received  an 
order  from  General  Grant  to  proceed  to  Columbus, 
Ohio,  for  discharge.  On  my  arrival  there  I  reported 
to  the  Provost-marshal,  who  refused  to  discharge  me, 
because  I  had  no  copy  of  the  orders  under  which  I 
had  reported  from  one  commanding  officer  to  another. 
My  business  had  been  such  that  it  was  not  safe  for 
me  to  carry  them,  and,  for  the  same  reason,  my  orders 
were  generally  given  orally.  I  went  to  General  Leg- 
gett  and  told  him  my  difficulty,  who  at  once  wrote 
me  a  statement  to  Captain  Barber,  Provost-marshal, 
setting  forth  his  knowledge  of  my  services,  and  why 
I  had  not  preserved  my  orders  of  detail.  General 
Wiles  also  gave  me  a  similar  statement,  of  which  the 
following  are  copies : 


"  ZANESYILLE,  O.,  February  15, 1866. 

"  Captain  Barber,  Provost-marshal  : 

"  DEAR  SIR  :— Corporal  Lorain  Buggies,  Co.  H,  20th  O. 
V.  V.  I.,  reports  to  me  that  he  has  difficulty  in  obtaining  a 
discharge  from  the  service.  Corporal  Ruggles  was  used, 
during  the  whole  war,  as  a  scout  and  spy.  I  first  assigned 
him  to  that  service  early  in  the  summer  of  1862.  His  great 
success  made  him  a  favorite  with  all  general  officers  having 
charge  of  secret  service.  He  was,  at  different  times,  under 
the  immediate  direction  of  Generals  Force,  Koss,  Logan, 
McPherson,  Blair,  Grant,  and  others,  generally  remaining, 


380  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

when  not  on  active  duty,  at  my  headquarters.  The  nature 
of  his  services  was  such  that  he  could  not  carry  details, 
passes,  or  orders,  and  details  could  not  be  waited  for  by 
officers  when  he  was  needed,  and,  in  fact,  were  very  seldom 
made  in.  such  cases. 

"  Corporal  Kuggles  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  reliable  spies  in  the  United  States  service,  and 
was  always  called  upon  for  desperate  service  where  others 
would  fail,  and  was  equal  to  the  undertaking. 

"  I  hope  you  will  secure  him  such  a  discharge  as  will 
enable  him  to  draw  his  pay.  He  has  been  a  most  worthy 
soldier.  I  doubt  whether  any  man  of  his  rank  has  done 
more  for  his  country. 

"  Very  respectfully,  "  M.  D.  LEGGETT, 

"Late  Major- General  of  Volunteers." 

"  ZANESVILLE,  O.,  February  17,  1866. 
"  Captain  Barber,  Provost-marshal,  Columbus,  Ohio : 

"  DEAR  Sin — I  certify  that  I  have  long  known  Corporal 
Lorain  Buggies,  of  the  20th  O.  V.  Y.  I.  (Said  regiment 
was  one  of  the  regiments  comprising  the  brigade  which  I 
had  the  honor  to  command.)  I  further  certify  that  I  have 
known  Corporal  Buggies  as  a  scout  and  spy  since  about  the 
month  of  June  or  July,  1862.  He  was  in  the  secret  service, 
under  orders  from  Generals  Grant,  Sherman,  McPherson, 
Leggett,  Force,  Boss,  and  others.  He  was  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  and  most  reliable  scouts  connected  with  our 
army,  and,  in  my  judgment,  has  performed  as  much  valua- 
ble service  as  any  man  in  it,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  he  is 
entitled  to  an  honorable  discharge,  although  he  may  be 
unable  to  account  for  his  absence  from  his  regiment  and 
company  by  exhibiting  the  necessary  documents.  The 
most  of  his  details  were  oral,  being  ordered  by  one  officer 
to  report  to  another  officer  for  special  duty.  I  have  used 
him  myself  for  scouting,  by  permission  of  the  commanding 


SCOUT   AND    SPY.  381 

General.    It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  add  this  my  testimony 
in  favor  of  a  gallant  and  trustworthy  soldier. 

"  I  am,  Captain,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  G.  R  WILES, 
" Late  Colond  78th  0.  V.  V.  L,  Brevet  Brig.-Gcn" 

Generals  Leggett  and  Wiles  have  my  thanks  for 
the  kind  interest  thus,  and  upon  all  other  occasions, 
manifested  in  my  behalf.  With  these  letters,  I  was 
enabled  to  get  a  discharge  from  the  service  that  I  am 
proud  of,  and  which  I  value  more  than  all  the  gold 
that  I  might  have  made  in  dishonest  traffic  with  out- 
laws. I  have  never  been  sorry  that  I  followed  Gen- 
eral Grant's  advice. 

•  After  having  received  my  discharge,  I  experienced 
trouble  in  getting  my  pay.  I  could  scarcely  get  the 
Paymaster  to  look  at  me,  let  alone  paying  me.  Find- 
ing that  I  could  prevail  nothing  upon  the  Paymaster 
at  Columbus,  I  reported  at  once,  in  person,  to  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Grant,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  and 
told  him  my  troubles.  He  caused  my  papers  to  be 
fixed  so  that  I  not  only  received  all  my  pay  proper, 
clothing  account,  etc.,  but  my  special  service  pay. 
Here  I  would  express  to  General  Grant  my  gratitude 
for  the  pains  he  has  taken  to  instruct  me  in  the  class 
of  duties  that  I  have  had  to  perform,  and  for  his  per- 
sonal interest  in  my  welfare.  I  am  indebted  to  all 
the  Generals  for  whom  I  have  served  for  their  kind- 
ness, and  the  instructions  they  have  given  me,  and 
especially  so  to  Generals  Grant,  Logan,  McPherson, 
Leggett,  Force,  Ross,  Potts,  and  Wiles.  I  always 
found  a  welcome  at  their  headquarters. 


382  THE    GRBAT   AMERICAN 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Ludicrous  effect  of  fear— A  Corporal  outflanks  a  Captain— A  good  Union 
man — A  touching  appeal — A  scene  among  the  wounded — An  old  Se- 
cesh  discovers  his  mistake — Suggestions  from  experience — Concluding 
thoughts. 

IN  looking  back  over  my  experience,  I  can  recall 
to  my  mind  many  little  incidents  not  included  in  the 
preceding  narratives. 

I  once  came  near  getting  into  difficulty  by  not 
properly  doing  my  duty  while  on  picket.  It  was  at 
Shiloh  Church,  a  few  weeks  after  the  battle,  and 
while  the  main  part  of  the  army  was  engaged  in 
besieging  Corinth.  The  entire  regiment  was  more 
or  less  troubled  with  that  terrible  scourge  of  the 
army,  camp  diarrhea,  and  the  men  were  constantly 
contriving  some  way  to  get  through  the  picket  line 
in  search  of  chickens  and  fresh  vegetables. 

One  morning,  soon  after  I  had  taken  my  post  on 
picket  duty  for  the  first  time  in  my  life — I  was  a 
corporal  of  the  guard — a  squad  of  men  from  my  own 
company  came  down  to  my  post,  without  passes,  and 
said  that  they  wanted  to  go  out  and  get  some  vegeta- 
bles, and,  if  I  would  pass  them,  they  would  divide 
with  me  when  they  came  in,  to  which  I  assented. 

Toward  night  they  came  back  to  my  post,  and  left, 
as  my  share  of  the  proceeds  of  the  trip,  two  very  fat 
chickens,  and  a  nice  lot  of  onions,  lettuce,  and  rad- 


8COUT   AND   SPY.  383 

ishes.  It  so  happened  that  just  after  the  men  left 
the  post  for  camp,  Captain  Rogers,  of  my  regiment, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  guard,  made  his  appear- 
ance to  inspect  the  condition  of  his  men,  and,  dis- 
covering the  party  who  had  just  left,  mistrusted  that 
I  had  passed  them  in,  and,  of  course,  took  me  to  task 
about  it. 

"Did  those  men  come  through  the  lines  here?" 
inquired  the  Captain. 

"Yes,  sir,"  I  answered. 

"  Did  they  have  passes  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  they  did  or  not.  I  did  not 
ask  them." 

"Did  they  go  out  here  this  morning?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Did  you  allow  them  to  go  out  without  passes  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  ask  them  for  passes.  I  didn't  know  they 
needed  them.  They  said  that  they  were  going  after 
vegetables,  and  I  know  that  they  needed  them  bad 
enough,  so  I  supposed  it  was  all  right." 

' '  What  were  you  placed  here  for  ?  " 

"  To  watch  the  enemy,  I  suppose.  I  did  not  know 
that  I  had  to  watch  my  friends." 

"  Well,  sir,  if  you  don't  know  your  duty  better  than 
that,  you  arc  not  fit  to  be  a  Corporal.  I'll  report  you 
to  the  Colonel,  sir,  and  have  you  reduced." 

The  Captain  then  went  on  and  left  me  to  my  own 
reflections.  I  cared  very  little  about  being  an  eighth 
Corporal,  and  yet  I  disliked  the  idea  of  becoming  dis- 
graced by  being  reduced.  I  dressed  my  chickens 
nicely,  and  laid  them  away.  As  soon  as  the  relief 


384  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

came  out,  I  started  across  the  woods  to  camp.  Taking 
my  nicest  chicken  and  some  of  my  best  vegetables  in 
my  hands,  I  repaired  to  the  Colonel's  tent.  I  knew 
that  he  had  been  quite  complaining,  and  unable  to 
procure  what  vegetables  he  needed.  On  entering,  I 
saluted  him  as  politely  as  I  knew  how,  and  then  said : 
"  Colonel,  I  knew  that  you  was  not  very  well,  and  I 
thought  you  would  relish  some  chicken  and  fresh  veg- 
etables. Will  you  accept  them  ? " 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,  Corporal,"  said  he,  taking 
them,  and  looking  very  much  pleased.  "They  are 
just  what  I  wanted  exactly.  Were  you  on  picket 
yesterday  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  I  expect  that  I  have  incurred  your 
displeasure.7' 

"Why  so?" 

"Well,  Colonel,  I'll  tell  you.  It's  the  first  time 
that  I  was  ever  on  picket,  and  I  did  not  know  what 
the  duty  of  a  Corporal  was.  There  were  some  men 
from  the  regiment  came  down  and  wanted  to  go  out, 
and  I  let  them  go  without  passes,  and  the  Captain 
says  that  he  is  going  to  report  me  for  it.  I  am  very 
sorry,  Colonel,  that  I  did  it,  and  if  you  will  forgive 
me  this  time  I  won't  do  so  again." 

"  Picket  duty,  Corporal,  is  one  of  the  most  respon- 
sible duties  of  the  soldier.  It  should  always  be  faith- 
fully discharged.  Since  this  is  the  first  offence,  I'll 
overlook  it,  if  you  will  do  better  in  the  future." 

"Thank  you,  Colonel;  I  will  certainly  do  better 
the  next  time." 

Just  as  I  came  out  the  Captain  entered ;  so  I  re- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  385 

mained  where  I  could  hear  the  conversation  that  fol- 
lowed. After  the  usual  salutation,  he  said:  "I  am 
sorry,  Colonel,  that  I  am  under  the  necessity  of  re- 
porting to  you  one  of  the  corporals  under  my  com- 
mand yesterday  for  a  non-performance  of  duty.'" 

"  Was  it  Corporal  Ruggles?"  inquired  the  Colonel. 

i(  Yes,  sir;  he — " 

"  Never  mind,  Captain ;  he  reported  himself  this 
morning  and  promised  to  do  better,  and  I  forgave 
him  this  offence.7' 

When  the  Captain  came  out,  I  noticed  that  he 
felt  considerably  worked  up  at  being  outflanked  by 
a  corporal. 

It  is  oftentimes  affecting  to  witness  the  heroic  man- 
ner in  which  soldiers  endure  their  sufferings,  whether 
from  sickness  or  wounds. 

There  was  in  my  company  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Frank  Kickard,  who,  for  several  months,  had  been 
careless  about  writing  to  his  mother,  who  was  a  widow. 
At  last  the  poor  widow's  heart  could  stand  the  sus- 
pense no  longer,  and  she  wrote  to  a  daughter,  then 
living  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  assist  her  in  her 
efforts  to  find  out  what  had  become  of  Frank.  The 
sister  immediately  wrote  to  the  Captain  of  the  com- 
pany to  learn  the  fate  of  her  brother.  The  neglect 
on  the  part  of  Frank  to  write  was  not  for  lack  of 
affection,  but  simply  because  of  a  careless  habit.  At 
last  Frank  was  taken  sick  with  a  fever,  and  rapidly 
grew  worse.  The  regiment  was  preparing  to  move 
from  Paducah,  Ky.,  up  the  Tennessee  Eiver,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  leave  Frank  in  the  hospital. 
17 


386  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

Just  a  few  moments  before  he  was  to  be  carried  off 
from  the  boat,  his  Captain  received  the  letter  from 
his  sister,  inquiring  what  had  become  of  Frank.  The 
Captain  carried  the  letter  to  him  and  read  it,  and  then 
said,  "  Frank,  what  shall  I  write  to  your  sister?" 

He  thought  a  moment,  and  then,  his  eyes  filling 
with  tears,  he  said:  "Oh,  for  God's  sake,  Captain, 
don't  tell  sister  how  sick  I  am  /" 

It  was  affecting  indeed  to  see  the  heroism  with 
which  that  dear  boy  suffered,  and  his  affectionate 
and  tender  regard  for  his  sister ;  was  unwilling  that 
she  should  know  the  extent  of  his  sufferings,  lest  she 
should  worry  about  him. 

"  Brave  boy !  he  has  gone  at  his  country's  call." 

The  first  mail  after  we  left  him  brought  the  sad  in- 
telligence that  Frank  was  dead. 

Wounded  soldiers  generally  manifest  a  cheerful 
resignation  to  their  lot  that  is  astonishing  to  those  who 
have  never  witnessed  it.  Sometimes,  however,  ex- 
ceptions occur.  I  often  think  of  an  incident  that  I 
witnessed  in  which  two  extremes  met. 

After  the  battle  of  Matamora,  where  General  Hurl- 
but's  command  routed  General  Price's  army,  on  its 
retreat  after  having  been  repulsed  in  its  assault  upon 
Corinth,  I  assisted  in  taking  care  of  the  wounded  as 
they  were  brought  in.  Among  the  sufferers  on  that 
day  was  a  Captain,  with  a  flesh  wound  in  the  arm, 
and  a  private,  with  a  leg  dreadfully  shattered  below 
the  knee.  The  Captain — though  his  wound  was  not 
of  a  serious  nature — gave  way  to  his  feelings,  and 
took  on  dreadfully,  and  frequently  called  upon  the 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  387 

doctor  to  come  and  dress  his  wound  or  he  should  die. 
The  private,  then  on  the  table,  preparatory  to  an 
amputation  of  his  limb,  was  heroically  cool,  and 
scarce  a  groan  escaped  his  lips.  At  length  his  nerves 
could  no  longer  stand  the  ridiculous  clamor  of  the 
Captain,  and  he  called  out,  "Captain,  if  you  don't 
hush  your  gab  until  the  doctor  gets  my  leg  off  I'll 
throw  it  at  you." 

The  soldier  endured  the  operation  manfully,  and 
the  Captain  took  the  hint  and  "dried  up"  his  noise. 
It  is  not  hard  to  tell  which  of  the  two  was  the  bravest 
man. 

I  was  once  very  much  amused  by  the  mistake  of  a 
very  old  man.  It  happened  in  this  way.  I  had  been 
sent  out  on  a  scout,  and  was  returning  to  camp,  when 
I  called  at  a  plantation-house  to  get  breakfast  for 
myself  and  squad.  Sitting  upon  the  porch  in  front 
of  the  house  was  a  very  old  man — a  secesh — engaged 
in  twisting  up  tobacco.  He  had  a  large  pile  of  it 
before  him  already  twisted.  He  had  never  seen  any 
soldiers  from  either  army.  As  we  came  up  to  the 
porch  he  kept  on  at  his  work,  without  being  in  the 
least  alarmed  at  our  appearance.  We  procured  what 
breakfast  we  wanted,  and  were  about  to  leave,  when, 
addressing  the  old  man,  I  said:  "  How  do  you  do, 
daddy?" 

"Speak  a  little  louder,"  said  the  old  man;  "I'm 
hard  of  hearing." 

"  Hoio  do  you  do,  daddy?"  said  I  again,  louder 
than  before. 

"Oh,  I'm  pretty  well,  I  thank  you.     I'm  a  little 


388  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

tired  now.  I've  got  ten  or  twelve  little  grandsons 
down  in  General  Yillipigue's  army,  and  I  heard  that 
they  were  out  of  tobacco,  and  I  thought  I'd  twist  up 
some  and  take  down  to  'em." 

"  Boys,"  said  I  to  the  squad,  "if  you  had  rather 
the  rebs  would  have  that  tobacco  than  to  have  it 
yourselves,  let  it  alone." 

At  that  the  boys  made  a  spring  for  the  tobacco. 

"Hut,  tut,  tut!7'  said  the  old  man,  looking  won- 
derfully surprised;  "I  guess  I  was  mistaken.  I 
thought  you  were  our  soldiers;  but  I  guess,  from  your 
actions,  you  are  Yankees." 

On  leaving  a  service  that  has  been  fraught  with  as 
much  danger  as  mine  has  been,  it  is  not  improper, 
perhaps,  for  me  to  leave  on  record  the  conclusions 
suggested  by  that  experience. 

Few,  if  any,  of  my  contemporaries  who  started  in 
the  business  as  early  as  I  did  are  now  living.  I  know 
of  none  that  are  living  who  operated  in  the  depart- 
ments where  I  did,  and  who  commenced  at  the  time 
and  continued  as  long  as  I  did.  Of  eighteen  (includ- 
ing myself)  that  began  the  service  with  me,  I  am  the 
only  one  that  continued  through  the  war.  Fifteen  of 
that  number  were  killed  in  less  than  two  years,  and 
two  were  disgraced  for  bad  conduct. 

When  I  look  back  upon  what  I  have  experienced, 
it  seems  a  wonder  to  me  that  my  life  has  been  spared. 
Others,  whom  I  thought  were  my  superiors  in  all  the 
necessary  qualifications,  have  sacrificed  their  lives  in 
their  line  of  duty. 

It  may  be  thought  by  some  that  a  scout  is  of  neces- 


SCOUT   AND   SPY,  389 

sity  that  hardened,  reckless  character  that  is  in- 
sensible to  the  dangers  that  surround  him  ;  but  that 
is  a  mistake.  It  is  true  that  war  is  hardening  to  the 
finer  sensibilities,  but,  nevertheless,  if  a  man  is 
unconscious  of  the  danger  of  his  undertaking,  he  is 
not  apt  to  exercise  the  necessary  precautionary  meas- 
ures to  insure  his  safety,  and,  consequently,  fails  in 
his  mission. 

I  can  now  look  back  and  see  how  I  might  have 
done  better.  I  commenced  the  business  without  hav- 
ing had  experience,  and,  consequently,  I  had  all  to 
learn  as  I  went  along.  At  first  I  only  ventured  a 
short  distance  out.  and  thought  I  had  done  extremely 
well  if  I  reached  camp  unharmed.  I  increased  grad- 
ually the  extent  of  my  expeditions,  until  I  succeeded 
in  making  trips  of  several  hundred  miles  in  length. 

An  adaptation  of  means  to  the  end  to  be  accom- 
plished is  of  as  much  importance  in  scouting  and  spy- 
ing, as  in  any  other  branch  of  business.  The  very 
business  itself  is  an  evasion  of  what  you  really  are, 
or  assuming  to  be  what  you  are  not ;  consequently, 
an  evasion  of  the  truth  is  often  necessary  to  accom- 
plish the  purpose.  '  To  be  successful  as  a  spy,  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  be  able  to  act  an  assumed 
character. 

The  disguise  of  the  individual  and  his  plans  of 
operations  must  be  adapted  to  the  particular  time  and 
place,  and  his  success  must  depend  greatly  upon  his 
address.  Generals  have  frequently  told  me,  before 
going  out,  how  to  address  myself  to  the  undertaking ; 
but,  as  it  is  impossible  to  know  beforehand  the  cir- 


390  THE   GREAT   AMERICAN 

cumstanccs  under  which  one  will  be  placed,  it  is 
necessary  that  a  man  be  of  ready  address,  in  order 
to  adapt  himself  to  any  unexpected  state  of  affairs 
that  he  might  find. 

Presence  of  mind,  when  suddenly  and  unexpected- 
ly confronted,  is  very  essential.  When  a  man  in 
that  situation  is  thrown  off  his  guard,  his  condition 
can  rarely  be  retrieved. 

A  man  should  never  lose  confidence  in  his  own 
case,  nor  despair  of  escape  if  captured ;  if  he  does, 
his  case  becomes  hopeless.  Never  was  I  in  a  situa- 
tion where  hope  entirely  left  me. 

A  spy  should  have  as  little  superfluous  or  unneces- 
sary conversation  as  possible.  His  information  should 
mainly  be  derived  from  observation.  I  once  came 
across  a  spy  that  G-eneral  Grant  had  sent  out,  who 
was  an  inveterate  talker.  I  was  alarmed  for  his  safety, 
and,  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  occurred,  I  said  to 
him,  "You  talk  too  much.  General  Grant  requires 
us  not  to  talk."  The  fellow  made  fun  of  my  advice. 
What  became  of  him  I  do  not  know ;  he  never  re- 
turned to  our  lines. 

Scouts  sometimes  get  frightened  ;  I  have  been.  So 
do  commanding  officers  and  enlisted  men.  I  have 
known  a  Major-General  to  dodge  at  the  whiz  of  a 
bullet,  and  a  whole  regiment  to  become  stampeded 
by  a  runaway  mule !  The  best  of  men  are  sometimes 
the  victims  of  fear.  It  should,  however,  be  guarded 
against. 

I  made  a  practice  of  getting  all  the  information 
that  I  could,  without  exposing  myself  to  the  danger  of 


SCOUT   AND   SPY.  391 

recognition,  concerning  the  different  regiments  in  the 
Confederate  service.  It  was  often  of  great  service  to 
me  to  know  where  such  regiments  were  raised,  and 
who  commanded  them,  and  also  what  brigades,  divi- 
sions, and  departments  they  were  in.  The  names 
and  residence  of  prominent  individuals  were  also  of 
great  service  to  me.  A  knowledge  of  the  language 
and  habits  of  the  people,  wherever  a  spy  travels,  is 
of  great  advantage.  I  have  no  idea  that  I  would 
have  succeeded  as  I  did  if  I  had  not  lived  in  the 
South  before  the  war  commenced. 

I  have  been  very  successful  in  managing  scouting 
and  forage  parties.  I  attribute  it  to  the  fact  that  I 
always  watched  for  myself  and  my  men.  I  have 
known  several  officers  and  their  details  to  get  cap- 
tured because  of  depending  entirely  on  the  men  to  do 
the  watching.  Men  become  careless  in  such  duties, 
and  a  surprise  is  often  the  consequence. 

In  my  travels  in  the  enemy's  country  as  a  spy,  I 
was  very  particular  to  observe  the  features  of  the 
country  through  which  I  passed — whether  wooded, 
cultivated,  level,  or  hilly ;  the  condition  of  the  roads 
— whether  hard,  sandy,  or  wet ;  the  condition  of  the 
streams  and  their  location — whether  fordable  or  not, 
and  the  manner  of  crossing  and  the  nature  of  their 
banks.  Also,  the  location  of  springs  and  wells,  and 
the  supply  of  water  that  they  afforded.  Such  informa- 
tion is  of  great  value  to  a  commanding  officer. 

There  is  great  responsibility  resting  upon  a  scout 
and  spy.  If  his  reports  are  reliable,  the  commanding 
officer  knows  how  to  execute  his  movements  success- 


392  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

fully ;  but  if  his  reports  are  false,  and  the  command- 
ing officer  relies  upon  them  as  truth,  the  probability 
is  that  his  movements  will  end  in  disaster,  with 
a  sacrifice  of  hundreds,  and"  perhaps  thousands,  of 
lives. 

It  is  far  better  for  a  scout,  if  he  fails  to  accomplish 
his  mission,  to  report  it  a  failure,  for,  sooner  or  later, 
it  will  be  found  out.  It  is  mortifying  to  fail  in  one's 
mission,  but  that  is  of  little  consequence  compared 
with  jeopardizing  a  whole  army.  I  have  several 
times  failed  to  accomplish  my  mission,  but  my  re- 
ports of  such  failures  have  always  tended  to  increase 
the  confidence  of  my  employers  in  my  reliability. 

Having  finished  my  services  for  the  Government,  I 
am  once  more  a  citizen,  engaged  in  the  pursuits  of 
civil  life.  I  have  "  beaten  my  sword  into  a  plough- 
share," and  my  bayonet  into  a  "pruning-hook,"  and 
have  become  a  resident  of  the  ' '  Far  West ;"  and  though 
I  "became  a  changed  man,"  and  did  not  take  for  a 
better  half  "Miss  Annie,"  nevertheless  I  am  married 
and  settled  in  life,  and  can  look  back  with  proud  sat- 
isfaction upon  the  result  of  my  labors. 

Now,  reader,  you  have  followed  me  in  my  humble 
career  from  the  commencement  of  the  war  to  its  close, 
and  you  are  able  to  discern  with  approximate  cor- 
rectness whether  the  part  I  have  acted,  in  sustaining 
the  noble  institutions  of  our  great  Republic,  has  been 
of  any  benefit, 

The  war  is  now  over.  The  flag  of  our  country 
again  proudly  floats  over  the  entire  domain.  Peace, 
prosperity,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  have  taken 


SCOUT  AND  SPY.  393 

the  place  of  deadly  strife.  In  place  of  teaching  the 
art  of  war,  we  are  now  enlarging  our  commerce  and 
friendly  intercourse.  In  a  few  years  the  blackened 
trail  of  contending  armies  will  smile  with  luxuriant 
harvests. 

We  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  American 
liberty  still  exists  ;  that  the  institutions  inaugurated 
by  the  hardships  and  sufferings  of  our  forefathers, 
baptized  with  their  blood,  and  consecrated  by  their 
prayers,  are  renewed  and  perpetuated.  The  prin- 
ciples that  they  struggled  to  maintain  still  live. 

The  fires  of  patriotism  that  were  kindled  in  the 
bosoms  and  flashed  in  flames  of  heroic  valor  at  Lex- 
ington, Bunker  Hill,  Saratoga,  and  Yorktown,  still 
burn  in  the  bosoms  of  their  children's  children,  and 
have  burst  forth  in  glorious  illuminations  of  valor  upon 
.such  fields  as  Donelson,  Yicksburg,  Antietam,  At- 
lanta, and  Richmond. 

The  heroes  of  this  war  have  proved  themselves 
worthy  of  their  ancestry,  and  have  baptized  and  con- 
secrated anew  their  precious  inheritance  by  giving 
their  best  blood  for  its  maintenance. 

Never  were  prayers  more  devoutly  and  fervently 
uttered,  never  did  blood  more  freely  flow,  never  was 
treasure  more  extensively  lavished,  or  individual 
sacrifice  more  cheerfully  borne,  than  in  the  war  from 
which  we  have  just  emerged. 

Our  children  and  children's  children  will  look  back 
upon  our  deeds  of  valor  and  sacrifice  with  the  same 
feelings  of  respect  that  we  cherish  for  the  fathers  of 
the  Revolution,  and  the  institutions  which  we  have 


394  THE    GREAT   AMERICAN 

perpetuated  will  be  doubly  dear  to  them  for  that 
second  sacrifice. 

Let  me  here  present  my  sincere  and  heartfelt 
thanks  to  the  generous  ladies  of  this  Union,  who  have 
so  nobly  borne  their  part  through  the  struggles  of 
this  great  rebellion,  and  to  those  who  so  generously 
volunteered  their  services  in  administering  to  the 
wants  of  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the  hospitals,  amid 
the  groans  of  my  bleeding  comrades,  torn  by  the  shot 
and  shell  of  the  enemy,  weltering  in  pools  of  blood, 
with  fractured  skulls  and  amputated  limbs.  May  their 
beneficent  labors  never  be  forgotten,  and  may  the 
emblem  of  our  country  ever  float  proudly  over  the 
graves  that  enclose  them. 

Let  us  then  watch  carefully  the  treasures  of  liberty, 
and  so  use  them  as  to  invoke  the  smiles  of  Heaven 
upon  our  sacred  trust,  Let  us  acknowledge  His  di- 
recting hand,  and,  by  strict  integrity  and  adherence 
to  the  principles  of  truth,  justice,  and  righteousness, 
prove  ourselves  worthy  of  the  trust  that  we  have  re- 
ceived. Millions  yet  unborn,  calling  to  mind  the 
noble  deeds  of  daring,  arid  the  patriotic  devotion  of 
these  heroes  of  the  Grand  Army  of  this  Eepublic. 
who  bore,  in  triumph,  the  star-decked  emblem  of  our 
nation  through  the  proud  embattled  hosts  of  the 
enemy,  will  rise  up  to  bless  the  God  of  battles  for  such 
a  noble  ancestry,  and  will  crown  them  with  perpetual 
and  immortal  honors. 


CERTIFICATES  AND  ENDORSEMENTS 

OF  THE 

GREAT   AMERICAN   SCOUT   AND    SPY, 
"  GENERAL  BUNKER" 


THE  foregoing  narratives  here  related  arc  facts  that 
actually  occurred  in  the  experience  of  G.  L.  Rnggles, 
and  many  of  these  are  as  well  authenticated  as  any 
facts  in  history.  There  has  been  no  aim  at  making 
this  a  work  of  general  history,  but  simply  a  narrative 
of  personal  experience,  coupled  with  only  so  much 
of  the  general  history  of  the  war  as  is  necessary  to 
explain  the  cause  of  the  events  that  transpired  in  his 
experience.  Many  of  these  are  incidents  of  daring 
that  are  without  parallel  in  the  scout  service,  and 
reveal  the  interior  of  war  as  it  is  not  seen  in  the  gen- 
eral records  of  history.  The  following  testimonials 
of  the  value  of  his  services  and  the  truthfulness  of  his 
reports  will  be  read  with  interest : 


"  HEADQUARTERS  IST  BRIGADE,  3o  DIVISION',  ) 
17TH  ARMY  CORPS,  December  1 1 , 1863.       f 

'•I  have  known  Mr.  Ruggles  since  December,  18C1.     I 
remember  very  well  his  first  expedition  as  a  spy,  in  June, 


396  CERTIFICATES   AND    ENDORSEMENTS. 

1862,  when  the  20th  was  at  Grand  Junction,  then  an  ex- 
posed outpost,  under  command  of  General  Leggett. 

"  Since  that  time  he  has  been  continually  employed  on 
such  duty,  often  on  expeditions  of  extreme  hazard.  He 
has  shown  as  much  address  as  daring.  Many  a  camp-fire 
has  been  enlivened  with  stories  of  his  adventures,  while 
commanding  officers  have  set  high  value  upon  his  reports. 

"I  remember  Mr.  Kuggles  as  one  of  our  best  sharp- 
shooters in  the  war.  His  skill  in  this  department,  as  well 
as  in  the  scout  service,  often  obtained  him  leave  to  go  out 
from  the  line  on  somewhat  independent  duty.  At  Cham- 
pion Hills  I  gave  him  liberty  to  go  with  Company  A,  which 
was  sent  out  as  skirmishers  to  open  the  way  for  an  advance, 
on  account  of  his  skill. 

"  At  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  he  had  a  special  permanent 
permission  to  be  among  the  sharp-shooters  on  the  ad- 
vanced lines.  On  the  clay  of  the  general  but  unsuccessful 
charge  in  May,  1863,  he  was  mainly  instrumental  in  driving 
away  the  artillerists  from  two  of  the  enemy's  guns  on  the 
right  of  the  Jackson  road. 

"During  the  siege,  his  Henry  rifle,  presented  to  him  by 
General  Grant,  was  one  of  the  marked  pieces  among  the 
sharp-shooters  of  the  17th  Corps. 

"M.  F.  FOKCE, 
"Brig.-Getil  Vols.,  late  Cohnd  20^  Ohio." 


"  HEADQUARTERS,  SD  Dmsiox,  I?TH  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
VICKSBURG,  Miss.,  December  7, 1863.  f 

"Mr.  Ruggles  (or  'General  Bunker,'  as  he  is  better 
known)  has  acted  as  scout  and  spy  for  me  on  very  many 
occasions  since  the  early  part  of  June,  1862.  In  this  char- 
acter he  has  been  remarkably  successful,  seldom  ever  fail- 
ing to  satisfactorily  accomplish  the  mission  on  which  he 
was  sent. 


CERTIFICATES   AND    ENDORSEMENTS.  397 

"  Many  scenes  of  his  life  as  a  spy  are  intensely  interest- 
ing. 

"  At  some  future  time,  I  shall  probably  be  at  liberty  to 
relate  a  few  incidents  of  considerable  interest  in  his  career, 
of  which  he  himself  is  as  yet  ignorant. 

"  M.  D.  LEGGETT,  Brigadier- General." 


"  MEMPHIS,  TESTS.,  November  28, 18G3. 
"Captain  E.  C.  Downs: 

"  DEAE  SIB, — You  wrote  me  some  time  since,  inquiring  as 
to  the  services  of  Mr.  Buggies  as  a  scout  and  spy  for  the 
Union  army.  In  reply  I  would  state  that  Mr.  Buggies  was 
a  superior  man  for  the  work  assigned  him,  and  the  infor- 
mation obtained  through  him  of  the  movements  of  the 
enemy  was  always  reliable. 

"  In  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  he  was  active,  energetic, 
and  heroically  brave.  His  gallantry  in  the  service  deserves 
honorable  mention  in  the  work  of  which  you  speak. 

"  I  am  truly  yours, 

"LEONARD  F.  Boss." 


"  HEADQUARTERS  17xn  ARMY  CORPS,        \ 

"DEPARTMENT  OP  THE  TENNESSEE,        £• 

"  VICKSBURG,  Miss.,  December  15, 1863. ' 

"  To  wliom  it  may  concern : 

"  This  is  to  certify  that  Mr.  Buggies  has  been  employed 
by  me  at  various  times  during  the  past  year,  and  I  have 
always  found  him  brave,  adventurous,  and  truthful. 

"  His  services  as  a  scout  have  been  very  important,  and 
he  deserves  well  of  the  military  authorities. 

"JAMES  B.  McPHEESON,  Major- General." 


398  CERTIFICATES    AND    ENDORSEMENTS. 

"  ZANESVILLE,  Omo,  July  31,  I860. 

'•  It  affords  me  pleasure  to  state  that  I  am  personally  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  Lorain  Buggies,  known  in  the  army  as 
'General  Bunker.'  He  belonged  to  my  command,  and  I 
know  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  intrepid  scouts 
in  the  17th  Army  Corps.  He  was  in  high  favor  with  all  our 
general  officers,  and  I  think  rendered  more  efficient  service 
in  the  capacity  of  scout  and  spy  than  any  man  with  whom 
I  am  acquainted.  He  certainly  deserves  well  of  his  country. 

"  I  never  knew  him  to  give  false  intelligence,  and  in  his 
forthcoming  work  should  recommend  it  as  a  truthful  nar- 
rative of  his  personal  adventures,  many  of  which  I  am 
knowing  to. 

"  G.  F.  WILES, 

"Late  Colond  78th  0.  V.  V.  /.,  and  Brevet  Brig.-Gen'L" 


"  CAUKOLTON,  OHIO,  June  27,  I860. 

"  I  am  glad  to  add  my  testimony  to  the  reputation  of 
'  Bunker'  as  a  scout  and  spy.     I  believe  him  to  have  been 
the  most  reliable  and  successful  scout  in  the  Western  army. 
"'Bunker'   had  the    confidence   of  Lieutenant-General 
Grant  and  Major-Generals  McPherson  and  Logan,  which 
he  earned  by  skilful  labor  during  the  campaign,  and  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  Vicksburg  and  its  garrison. 
"  Yours  truly, 

"B.  F.  POTTS, 
"Late  Brevet  Major- General  U.  S.  Fds" 


"  CARBOSDALK,  ILL.,  July  1, 18G6. 

"  I  am  well  acquainted  with  Mr.  Buggies,  or,  as  we  called 
him  in  the  army,  '  General  Bunker.'  He  was  certainly  a 
very  excellent  scout,  and  performed  great  service  in  that 
branch  of  duties.  He  served  as  scout  for  me,  as  well  as  for 
many  others,  and  at  all  times  performed  his  part  well ;  ran 


CERTIFICATES    AND    ENDORSEMENTS.  399 

great  risks  ;  was  not  only  a  good  scout,  but  one  of  the  best 
sharp-shooters,  perhaps,  in  the  army. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"JOHN  A.  LOGAN." 


"  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  9, 1865. 
"Major  K  C.  Doivns: 

"  DEAR  SIR, — In  the  work  of  which  you  speak,  you  are  at 
liberty  to  refer  to  me  concerning  the  value  of  the  services 
rendered  by  Mr.  Ruggles  as  a  scout  and  spy.  His  reports 
were  always  reliable,  and  were  held  in  high  estimation  by 
me. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"U.  S.  GRANT. 
11  Lieutenant- General  U,  S.  A" 

Such  testimonials  as  the  foregoing  give  the  narra- 
tives contained  in  the  preceding  pages  a  reputation 
of  reliability  that  cannot  be  doubted.  Whenever  a 
mission  of  great  danger  was  to  be  executed,  Mr. 
Ruggles  was  the  man  that  was  usually  chosen  to  per- 
form it.  His  quick  comprehension  and  heroic  daring 
enabled  him  to  address  himself  to  the  work,  which  he 
rarely  ever  failed  to  accomplish.  Often  the  boldness 
of  his  designs  proved  to  be  the  reason  of  his  success. 
Yery  few  have  equalled,  while  none  have  excelled, 
him  in  that  line  of  duty.  Many  of  the  incidents  in 
his  experience  are  so  wonderful,  that  without  such 
endorsements  as  we  have  here  presented,  we  might 
have  been  led  to  doubt.  But  with  such  an  array  of 
testimony  every  word  is  established.  The  paramount 
value  of  the  book  is  its  truthfulness.  It  will  prove  a 
valuable  addition  to  any  library. 


400  CERTIFICATES    AND    ENDORSEMENTS. 

The  following  certificate  was  obtained,  just  as  we  were  going  to  press, 
from  the  son  of  a  well-known  and  honored  citizen  of  Norwalk,  who,  while 
yet  in  youth,  has  risen,  by  energy  and  heroic  bravery,  from  the  rank  of  a 
teacher  to  a  Brevet  Major-General,  and  who  stands  forth  to-day  as  a  bold 
and  intelligent  defender  of  those  principles  for  which  he  fought : 

"  NEW  YOJIK,  October  25,  1868. 
"Brevet  Major- General  W.  T.  Clark: 

"  GENERAL, — We  have  been  referred  to  you,  by  Dr.  Asa 
Hill,  of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  as  one  probably  familiar  with  the 
military  career  of  C.  L.  Ruggles,  whose  adventures  as  a 
scout  and  spy  we  are  now  publishing.  Anything  you  may 
choose  to  furnish  us  on  this  subject  will  be  most  thankfully 
received. 

"  With  great  respect, 

"  Tour  obedient  servants, 

"OLMSTED  &  WELWOOD." 


"  NORWALK,  CONN.,  October  27, 1888. 
"Messrs.  Olmsted  &  Wdicood: 

"GENTLEMEN, — I  know  Mr.  Kuggles,  or  "General  Bunker," 
his  army  sobriquet ;  have  known  him  since  the  fall  of  1862. 
His  reputation  as  an  excellent  soldier  and  reliable  scout 
was  well  established  in  the  Array  of  Tennessee. 

"  Ho  ever  had  the  confidence  of  his  commanding  generals 
in  an  eminent  degree. 

"  Yours, 

"W.  T.  CLARK, 
"  Brevet  Major-  General, 
"  Late  Chief  of  Staff,  Army  of  Tennessee:' 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


vx 

^ 


211995 


Form  L9-75w-7,'61(C1437s4)444 


E 

608 
R84D7 
1868 


